Jemma Kosanke

• Valedictorian Class of 2023, Memorial Private High School
• Best Actress, Broadway World Regional Awards (Scout, To Kill A Mockingbird)
• Finalist, Houston Theater Awards, Best Supporting Actress (Iris, The Nether)
• Global Leader Award, Texas Campaign for the Environment (for advocacy at the Texas Legislature)
• Member of Actors' Equity Association
• Member of SAG-AFTRA
• Member of the National Honor Society
• Member of MENSA

My first professional stage appearance was at the age of 9, playing 'Little Cosette' in Liesl Tommy's reimagined Les Miserables at Dallas Theater Center. Later that same year I was declared to be “a terrific young actor” by the New York Times for my portrayal of 'Scout' in Bay Street Theater’s production of To Kill a Mockingbird. In 2016 I played 'Iris' in The Nether at the Alley Theatre, a role for which I was a finalist for the Best Supporting Actress award in the 2016 Houston Theater Awards, and in 2017 I played the role of 'Scout' again, in To Kill a Mockingbird at A.D. Players, winning the Best Actress (Play) award in the 2017 Broadway World Regional Awards. I was also seen on stage in 2017 in Everyone's Carol at St. Marks in the Bowery in New York City alongside Austin Pendelton and Arthur French. My most recent theater performance was at The Playroom Theater in New York City, reprising the role of ‘Joan’ in a new musical, The Rocking Horse Winner, which I had originated in a staged reading at the Murray Theater in Clearwater, Florida.

Other professional musical theater roles include the staged reading of Millions, a new musical by Adam Guettel (Light in the Piazza), directed by Bartlett Sher (The King and I and Fiddler on the Roof) and 'Kyla' in the musical Between Pretty Places at 13th Street Repertory Theater in New York City. Favorite roles in school and performing arts camp productions include 'Alice' in Alice in Wonderland, 'Olive Ovstrovsky' in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and 'Alice' in The Addams Family.

I have been cast in two opera productions: In 2020 I was in the children's chorus of the Houston Grand Opera's production of El Nino (cancelled during dress rehearsal due to Covid), and in 2022 was in the children's chorus of the Houston Grand Opera's production of Turandot.

My film credits include the lead role of 'Civil' in the short film 3 Minutes Gone, the supporting role of 'Teen Emily' in I Stand Here Ironing, and the supporting role of 'Young Cherry' in the short comedy film Cherry.

I attend the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama l and live on a non-profit animal rescue and sanctuary, Crazy K Poultry and Livestock, in Hempstead, Texas.

I am represented by Carson-Adler Agency (NYC) and Pastorini-Bosby Talent (Houston).