FRANCES CHEWNING

​Frances Chewning is an actor and creator based in Portland, Oregon and Los Angeles, California. Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, she earned a B.A. in philosophy from Lawrence University, an MFA in acting from the American Repertory Theater & Moscow Art Theater School Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University, and has trained at UCB-LA.

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​Her stage credits range from dramatic roles such as Cassandra in the world premiere of Adam Rapp’s Animals & Plants, Jo Britten in the TimeOut New York "critic's pick" revival of James Baldwin’s Blues for Mister Charlie, and assassinated Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, a role she helped create, with New York's multi-disciplinary company, Vision Into Art, to comedic roles such as "Miss Wildest" in Little Town on the Prairie-Oke with Drew Droege and Melanie Hutsell. She's performed at venues such as HERE Arts Center (NYC), the Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Whitney Museum, the American Repertory Theater, the Royal Danish Theater, L.A.'s legendary Cavern Club Theater, and in the Encore Award-wining A Void at L.A.'s Fringe Festival.

 

She co-created and starred in The Mimi & Flo Show, a pioneering Choose Your Own Adventure-style comedy web series and its corresponding Mimi & Flo Go Live! shows at the (now defunct) Meatpacking District comedy club Comix, then named "one of the top six clubs in the country" by the Hollywood Reporter. She has performed sketch at the UCB-L.A. and hosted the long-running indie L.A. improv show, The Hometown Show at The Clubhouse.

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TV and film credits include Hulu's Welcome to Chippendale's (as Sally Jessy Raphael), Ryan Murphy's Monster  on Netflix , and starring and supporting roles in award-winning indie films that have been official selections at Sundance, AFI Fest, and NYFF among other festivals.

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As a filmmaker, Chewning co-directed and wrote the short film The Glasses (2023), a heartfelt dramedy based on her personal experience with her father's Parkinson's disease . The film explores the emotional journey of a family as they navigate the challenges of illness. The Glasses was an official selection at Palm Springs ShortFest, HollyShorts, and LA Shorts, as well as other festivals. She just wrapped post-production on a short screwball romantic comedy about motherhood, romance, and communication (missed and otherwise) called The Pic.

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Her diverse body of work reflects her delight in storytelling in its many forms -- through comedy, theater, music, and film, she loves to create connection and a bit of magic.