Meet Francesca Ravera

We recently connected with Francesca Ravera and have shared our conversation below.

Francesca, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

For me, staying creative is a result of staying focused and fully involved in the work. I have been fortunate to take on many very different roles over the years. Each one has called for a different kind of focus and range, and moving between theatre, film, international tours, has been exciting and has challenged me in the best possible way. At the same time, I have found another kind of creative engagement through judging. I have been serving on the juries for the Telly Awards, the Gene Frankel Theatre Festival, and the New York Movie Awards. Acting and judging feed into the same commitment: to keep storytelling at a high level. Balancing performance and juror work keeps my career dynamic and fully engaged in the artistic community, and my creativity alive.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I work across theatre and film in both the United States and Europe. I love the teamwork required to bring any project to life, telling a story, sharing it with an audience, and giving life to a character that exists on the page. I thrive on challenging projects and complex roles. I have a wide range, which allows me to play a variety of characters, and over the years I’ve taken on several leading roles and had the opportunity to tour internationally.
My upcoming project is the presentation of White Reality by Stella Rousaki. Inspired by Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, White Reality explores connection and perception of reality within relationships. I will play the role of Stella. The performance will be presented at the Greek Consulate on November 20 and will be followed by a panel with the writer and performers. I am very much looking forward to it.
Alongside performing, I have been serving as a juror for awards and festivals like the Telly Awards and the New York Movie Awards for several years. This summer, I was invited to be a juror for the First Gene Frankel Theatre Festival. In that role, I contributed to the selection of 24 plays from over 150 submissions, giving artists the opportunity to premiere their work at the Gene Frankel Theatre. At the end of the festival, I helped award excellence in acting, directing, writing, and overall production across both short play and one-act categories. Now the Gene Frankel Theatre is back for its winter edition and I am once again on the jury panel. We already selected the plays, and I am looking forward to seeing them on stage. I’m truly glad to be part of initiatives that create meaningful opportunities for talented artists, and to contribute to the ongoing conversations about what great work looks like.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think integrity is fundamental. Keeping your actions, choices, and commitments aligned with your principles, following through even under pressure, and staying consistent with what you believe in. 
Grit has kept me moving through the unpredictable parts of this career. There are times when things don’t go as planned or hoped for, and you need to stay focused, keep showing up, and continue putting in the work. You have to to be persistent through the highs and the lows.
Adaptability has been just as crucial. Every project, every team, and every challenge requires a different approach. Being able to adjust while staying true to your core standards allows you to continue growing and learning, and prevents you from getting stuck in habits that no longer serve you.
If I were giving advice to someone starting out, I’d suggest staying grounded in your principles, giving your best even when it’s hard, and being willing to adapt as situations change because integrity, grit, and adaptability will carry you through the challenges of this career and help you grow over time.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

I think it depends on context. By honing the areas where you excel, you can bring depth, authenticity, and confidence to your work. At the same time, being aware of your weaker areas and improving them is important, sometimes even more so. 
I think we naturally tend to gravitate toward what feels comfortable, but growth doesn’t happen in comfort. Pushing ourselves is essential, not only to acquire new skills and improve in what we do, but also to stay flexible, open to new experiences, and continuously learn.