Vanessa Ballam

Biography

Vanessa has performed with companies around the country such as Theatre Under the Stars, PCPA Theatrefest, The Utah Shakespeare Festival, Pennsylvania Shakespeare, Anchorage Opera, Music Theatre West, Oregon Cabaret Theatre, Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre and Lyric Repertory Company. Vanessa currently serves as an Assistant Professor and Head of the Musical Theatre BFA at Utah State University and has been performing professionally and teaching theatre around the country for over 20 years. Prior to USU, Vanessa was the Head of Acting at Idaho State University. Vanessa spent three years as a Resident Actor at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, CA where she oversaw the first year acting program. Vanessa is the founding director of the annual Utah High School Musical Theatre Awards, the Utah affiliate for the NHSMTA – Jimmy Awards, and the Utah Festival Conservatory of the Performing Arts. A former Miss Utah, Vanessa was honored with the Bert Parks talent award at the Miss America Pageant. Vanessa is married to Actor Stefan Espinosa and together they have two miraculous children. She is a proud member of Actor’s Equity & VASTA and received her M.F.A. in Acting from Indiana University, and her B.A. and B.F.A. from Utah State University.