Vanessa Cate grew up in Southern California. Her father, Richard, a
middle school teacher, and her mother, Elaine, a waitress, brought her
up in Malibu. When she reached high school, she and her family moved to
Simi Valley, where Vanessa attended Santa Susana High, a Performing
Arts and Magnet High School. It was there that she fell in love with
theater.
In her adult life, Vanessa has traveled California and the West Coast,
as a performer and teacher of the arts. She resides in Los Angeles,
where she writes, directs, and performs. Her noir play, 'Absolute
Black', garnered much critical success. She also co-runs her own dance
troupe, Rouge Artists, with long-time partner Natalie Hyde. While her
focus is on the stage, she also enjoys working on film projects from
time to time.