Kathryn Parks is an award-winning actor, filmmaker, and singer dedicated to telling stories that spotlight the creativity and talent of her home turf in Southwest Florida. She is a past recipient of the “Ladies in Film & Entertainment Award” from Sunshine City Film Festival. Altogether, Kathryn’s films have provided production opportunities to more than 200 Florida-based actors and crew. Her first two short films, 50 WORDS and HER PLACE, received numerous awards including Best Florida Film, and were official selections at over 30 film festivals nationwide. Her third film, the feature documentary THE FABULOUS OHS: THE MARRIAGE AND THE MUSIC, tells the story of her parents and won the “Best of the Fest” Gussie Award at the Sarasota Film Festival. She is currently in post-production on MUSINGS: THE MUSICAL, an original short film she wrote, composed, and produced. The film was awarded the 2025 Florida Emerging Filmmakers Fund grant from Film Florida and continues Kathryn’s commitment to telling women-led, music-driven stories. As a screen actor, Kathryn has appeared in numerous short and feature films, and was recently cast in the Lifetime movie, Deadly Sign-in, which was shot in Tampa Bay. On stage, she has performed as a singer and actress with Florida Studio Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, American Stage, St. Petersburg Opera, and more. Favorite stage roles include CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (Maggie), VIOLET (Violet), and KING AND I (Anna). She was recognized with a Handy Award by the Sarasota Herald Tribune and her voice has been called “sparkling” by Scene Magazine while the Bradenton Herald has described her as “portraying genuine star power”. Kathryn has a BA in Theatre Arts from University of Miami and going even further back, this Sarasota-native was born at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Her husband, Jonathan Parks FAIA, is a national award-winning architect.
kathrynanneparks@gmail.com
Some fun facts:
- My husband, Jonathan Parks, is the most amazing architect in the world. Check out his website: Solstice Architects.
- I actually made a feature-length documentary film about my musician parents, The Fabulous Ohs.
- I’m a pretty darn good editor with Premiere Pro!
- I am part of professional ensemble and teach musical improv! We literally make up two-act musicals – songs included – on the spot.
- I’ve tossed a football with Dan Marino (Papa John’s commercial)
- I’ve hiked across the country of Israel (really, from one side to the other).
- Graduated 6th in my high school class (smart too!)
- My older brother is a 4th degree blackbelt in karate.
- My younger brother is a brilliant engineer.
act
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As featured in May 2014 Style Magazine in the Sarasota Herald Tribune.
1 When did the acting bug first bite you? I’m fairly certain I was born with the acting gene. My father, David Ohrenstien, is a professional pianist, and my mother, Sharon Lesley, is a professional singer. During my childhood, they performed all around the country as “The Fabulous Ohs.”
2 Did their careers influence your desire to be a performer? Definitely! Growing up, the performing arts were really all that I knew. I thought it was perfectly normal that dinner parties turned into performances, dads played the piano to accompany their daughter’s ballet classes, and all moms had dozens of sequined gowns in their closets.
3 What was your first acting experience? My first play was in the fourth grade, and it all came very naturally to me. It was like discovering that I was fluent in another language and other people were speaking it with me. After that, I performed constantly and went on to study musical theater.
4 Do you plan to pursue a career in theater or film—or both? My goal is to continue doing challenging work, no matter the medium. I tend to throw myself in any project, whether it’s film, theater, or modeling. My only obstacle is finding time to sleep!
5 Who are some of you artistic heroes? Julie Andrews: I still want to be just like her. Sutton Foster: she can sing, dance, act, and entertain like nobody else. George Gershwin: his melodies transport me to another place. My parents: now that I’m older, I marvel at how they could make money with their art and still raise three children.
6 How do you approach your characters? Once I have the script, I break down my scenes to discover my character’s objectives. Then, I do all sorts of research about the creation of the show, iconic performers who’ve played the role, and factual details about the script’s time and place. If I’m doing an accent, I spend a lot of time learning the dialect. And, finally, I’ll work with my voice teachers on the music. I record all my sessions and practice with them at home ad nauseam. My cat hates singing!
7 Advice to young people contemplating a performing arts career? I think you can follow your dreams wherever you are. It’s not about expecting fate to intervene or believing that one path is the right way. It’s about challenging yourself every day, working with dedication and integrity, and investing in the people you care about. When you do that, the doors leading to your dreams start opening all on their own.