Frankie Lehr is a New York–based actor, playwright, choreographer, arts critic, and anthropologist originally from Millersburg, Ohio. They recently graduated from New York University with a BA in Cultural Anthropology, Archaeology, and the Dramatic Arts, where their studies centered on the intersections of performance, identity, and history. Frankie first trained at Interlochen Arts Academy, studying acting for the stage, and went on to refine their craft through additional programs at Carnegie Mellon University, Rose Bruford College, and The New School.

Their artistic practice merges rigorous research with theatrical flair, often exploring the ways humor and spectacle can illuminate historical and cultural complexities. Frankie’s original play, Cookie, recently debuted at the SoHo Playhouse, where they wrote, produced, and performed in the production. The play follows a vaudeville performer grappling with identity, abuse, and self-reinvention, embodying Frankie’s fascination with character psychology and performative history.

Whether writing criticism, developing choreography, or crafting new work for the stage, Frankie is guided by an anthropological curiosity about what it means to “act human.” Their work aims to create spaces where laughter, empathy, and critical thought coexist, inviting audiences to look at familiar stories, and themselves, through a new lens.