Sandra Mae Frank

Sandra Mae Frank
Born (1990-03-21) March 21, 1990 (age 34)
Louisville, Kentucky, US
Alma materGallaudet University
OccupationActress
Years active2013–present
AwardsHelen Hayes Award (2023)
Ben Iden Payne Award (2023)

Sandra Mae Frank is an American actress. She is known for performances in theatre, films and TV series.

She advocates for deaf actors to be cast on the same level as hearing actors.[1] She acted as the first and, to this date, only deaf actor in Broadway's history to perform the lead role in a Broadway musical portraying Wendla in Spring Awakening. Frank expresses her view on deaf acting in an article for the Washington Post.[2] In this article, she uses and explains the hashtag DeafTalent and its background.

She starred in the NBC drama series New Amsterdam as Dr. Elizabeth Wilder, which began in September 2018 and concluded in January 2023; she joined the main cast in season 5 after entering the show as a recurring character in season 4. She was also cast in the film The Silent Hour, which was produced in 2023.

Frank works at the Deaf Austin Theatre in Austin, Texas as production manager.[3]

  1. ^ Adams, Kirby. "Manual grad turned Broadway star says being deaf 'a blessing'". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  2. ^ "Deafness is having a cultural moment. So why are deaf roles still handed to hearing actors?". Washington Post. 2021-10-06. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  3. ^ "Our Team". Deaf Austin Theatre. Retrieved 2023-09-12.