Tonya McKinny started her professional life earning an undergraduate degree at Portland State University with a double major in Women’s Studies and Theatre Arts, before earning a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She also trained at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, the National School for Drama and Dance in New Zealand, and the National Theatre Academy of China in Beijing. Having lived and worked as an actress in New York City, she left the theater after marrying renowned American bass-baritone Ryan McKinny. In discussing her current role as wife and mother for Indirect Routes (a website regarding career paths in the arts), she explained that she now considers herself a combination of short-order cook, maid, teacher, entertainer, mediator, stealth educator, personal shopper, chanteuse, negotiator, travel agent, event planner, baker, blogger, and collaborator.
