The Journey of Kevin Austra

 

Kevin Michael Austra was born in Nürnberg, West Germany on April 16, 1990 . Family moved back to the United States in 1994. His first acting role was a cameo apperance in the one act production, MEXICAN HAT DANCE, where he portrayed Harpo Marxx. He would return to the stage a year later in his first speaking role as Bubba Bedford in FAITH COUNTY. Over the years, Kevin would star in several stage productions including, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, ARSENIC & OLD LACE, and MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET. In 2010, he scored his first lead role as Ichabod Crane in the stage production of THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW. Alex Anastasi-Hill, a writer of Stage Magazine wrote, “Kevin Austra was not Kevin anymore, but Ichabod Crane, an intelligent schoolteacher making his way from the city that never sleeps.”

 

By 2011, Kevin would move on to other ventures. He perfromed in his first musical production as Wilbur Turnblad in HAIRSPRAY, Greg Gardner in A CHORUS LINE, and King Maximillan in RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA, respectively. He was awarded Honorable Mention Best Supporting Actor in the Reedy Point Players One Act Festival for his role as Mitch Green in THE RUNNING MATE. In 2013, he competed in the Delaware Theater Association Festival in the drama, END OF THE MOVIE. He collected Excellence in Ensemble Performance for his role as Derek. He appeared on stage at The Everett Theatre’s production of VOICES FROM THE TITANIC as 2nd Officier Charles Lightoller. He would later be nominated for Best Featured Actor for his role in 'Titanic' and Best Actor for 'End of the Movie''  at the 2013 Delaware Broadway World awards. 

 

His first feature film was the indie-comedy, AWESOME MOVIE, where he starred as Everywhere Guy, a role that was created specifically for him after the director, Olga Nechaeva, enjoyed his audition. He would later go on to star in THE SCRIPT, which premiered as en entry in the Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Festival. 

 

He earned rave reviews as Dallas Winston in stage production of THE OUTSIDERS. Gina Poletti, writer of Delaware Theater Spotlight, writes, “…Kevin Austra brings a unique soft layer, hidden very deep, to the bad-boy Greaser Dallas Winston. It was actually the first time I understood Dallas, rather than see him as a hot-head with a chip on his shoulder. Austra shows us why Dallas acts the way he does, something I find this is often missed.” He would later be nominated for Best Actor in a Play at the 2014 Delaware Broadway World awards for his portrayel. 

 

Being drawn to more dramatic, honest roles, Kevin starred in the ensemble piece, MISSING LIFE, which performed at Chapel Street Players. He played the role of Robbie, a young man who’s life has changed forever when police find drugs in his backyard as they search for a missing girl. Continuing his ambition to be part of honest pieces, he would later star as Little Charles Aiken in the Tony Award & Pulizer Prize winning play, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY at The Everett Theatre.