Raffeal A. Sears is an AEA/SAG-AFTRA actor, singer, and storyteller committed to reclaiming legacies and amplifying underrepresented voices through performance. Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, and a graduate of Paseo Academy of the Fine and Performing Arts, he has portrayed dynamic characters with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Yale Repertory Theatre, and on NBC’s Chicago Fire. His artistry spans Shakespeare, contemporary drama, and new works that encourage audiences to see history and humanity from fresh perspectives.

In addition to his stage and screen work, Raffeal created the course “Reclamation: Restoring the Black Legacy in American Theater” while serving as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Amherst College. The class blended performance criticism, genealogical research, and archival study to recover overlooked Black pioneers of the American stage. Students partnered with scholars, cultural institutions, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, culminating in a public exhibit that highlighted their original research.

Raffeal holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and is the recipient of the FY2025 Grants for Creative Individuals award from the Mass Cultural Council. His work—whether on stage, in the classroom, or through original projects—centers on storytelling as a force for connection, representation, and transformation.