Stephanie Richards Lawrence has decades of experience performing on stage and in films. Initially a stage actress, Ms. Richards Lawrence later made the transition to film. Acting has always been a passion for Ms. Richards Lawrence. She committed to developing her acting skills in college while attending Averett University for Theatre Arts and Speech and English Education. While at Averett, Stephanie gained technical theatre and stage management experience. Desiring to study the “Method,” she later auditioned and was accepted into New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where her acting skills were developed at the Lee Strasberg Institute for Theatre and Film in NYC. It was at Tisch and the Lee Strasberg Institute that Stephanie blossomed as an actress and director. During her senior year at NYU, Ms. Richards Lawrence interned at the Society Hill Playhouse in Olde City Philadelphia, where she taught theatre and improvisation to high school students and worked as a stage manager for the Playhouse’s live productions.
Ms. Richards Lawrence went on to receive a Master of Science degree from Drexel University in Arts Administration. While in graduate school, Ms. Richards Lawrence auditioned for the celebrated L.A. playwright and director, Donald Welch (Don B. Welch). She appeared in several of his plays, sharing the stage with the legendary Motown singer Mary Wilson of The Supremes and Willard Carroll Smith, Sr. (Will Smith’s father). After graduate school, Stephanie paused her career in acting to pursue a career as an arts administrator. In this capacity, she worked for legendary arts organizations and institutes of higher education. She has also taught theatre, acting, and musical theatre to students ranging from preschool to high school.
Some of Ms. Richards Lawrence’s accomplishments include: graduate internship at the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, founder of Ripe Crop Performing Arts and Productions, LLC, to celebrate the performing arts and highlight emerging artists; former ensemble member of the Public Theater; being a grant recipient of the Our (Digital) Humanity: Storytelling and Media Conference at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; premiering her stage-play, HIM EPISODE ONE at the Sherman Showcase in historic Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and the Touchstone Theatre in the arts district of Lehigh Valley, PA; producing numerous music concerts, talent showcases and industry talks in film, music, and theatre. Stephanie is known for her collaborations with established arts organizations.
In 2020, Ms. Richards Lawrence focused her energy on transforming her play from stage to screen, filming in summer 2021, and preparing for 2022 film release. Ms. Richards Lawrence continues practicing and perfecting her craft as an actress. She can now be seen on Amazon Prime making a cameo appearance in the film M.O.T.H. (Matters of the Heart), winner of 5 film festivals.