Kobe McKelvey is an actor and singer from Atlanta, Georgia. Their first play, in kindergarten, was "The Wizard Of Oz." They’ve been easing on down the yellow brick road ever since, ruby slippers and all. Kobe loves generating new work with friends and also has a deep appreciation for the reimagination of old texts and characters with the belief that paying close attention to the specific allows us to tell the most universal and transformative stories.
Kobe is committed to making art that highlights the melodrama of love in life. They enjoy empowering other young voices to discover their truth and to speak it plainly in the hope of bringing inclusivity and fresh perspectives to the forefront of our industry. Kobe loves words. Their favorite words are pulchritude and panache. On some days their favorite book is "Salem’s Lot" by Stephen King and on other days it’s Zora Neale Hurtson’s "Their Eyes Were Watching God." Their favorite film is "Belle du Jour."
In their free time you may find them watching old movies, writing plays and notes app poetry, reading, listening to Lady Gaga or running around Winston-Salem while listening to Lady Gaga. (Can you guess their favorite Gaga album?) Their UNCSA mainstage credits include Sweeney Todd in "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," Hipster Dork in "Heathers: The Musical" and Brutus/Valeria in "Coriolanus." Kobe is humbled and ever grateful for the opportunity to continue their professional actor training at UNCSA, what has been their dream school for over a decade. Extra pickles.