Vann Dukes (they/them) is an actor, writer, and movement artist based in Brooklyn. Originally from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, they moved to New York to pursue a career in theatre and the arts.

Vann is most energized by work that centers and documents Black and queer existence across time. Equally at home in classical texts and contemporary plays, they are driven by a deep love of story and its power to connect people.* Their artistic journey began—and remains rooted—in a love of dance and experimental movement, first sparked when they saw their older sister perform in a production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.

Vann holds a BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where they trained with the Meisner Studio, the Black Arts Institute, and Stonestreet Studios. They have extensive experience working collaboratively, with a particular focus on devised theatre and ensemble-driven processes. Their long-standing relationship with The Mercury Store, where they’ve been an actor and collaborator since 2021, continues to shape their practice.

As a performer, they’ve worked on projects at The Public Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Playwrights Realm, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Ars Nova, to name a select few.

*I have a libra moon so it is difficult to convey that I actually am jazzed about both things and not just saying that because I’m indecisive, please believe me.