Elissa Middleton, a talented actress, has recently joined the cast of Abby Rosenbrock's dark comedy, Dido in Idaho, directed by Abigail Deser at LA's esteemed Echo Theater, alongside Alana Dietze, Julie Dietzen, Nicole LePort, and Joby Earle. The production is set to open on July 20 and run through August 2024.
Elissa's film credits include appearances in two streaming features, Harry Greenberger's Here After, where she played Jeannie Berlin's daughter, and Niav Conty's Small Time. Her extensive theater experience includes notable roles such as Rebecca in Harold Pinter's Ashes to Ashes, directed by Guy Zimmerman; Queen Emer in W. B. Yeats' The Only Jealousy of Emer, directed by Ray Yeates; the Baroness in the US premiere of Lermontov's Masquerade, performed with a 50-piece orchestra at St Ann's in Brooklyn; Helene Marais Rosenthal in James Bosley's Broad Channel; and the lead in the world premiere of Meredith Anthony's Murder on the Main Line at Manhattan Repertory Theater, which Elissa also directed.
Elissa's husband, Clark, directed her and the renowned Matthew Cowles in Craig Lucas' Reckless, while she performed and produced William Leavengood's one-woman play, Special, about autism, at Theatre Row.
Elissa studied with esteemed instructors such as William Esper, Austin Pendelton, and Jon Shear in New York. She completed a two-year course in Voice, Diction, and Shakespeare with Shane Ann Younts. Elissa is fluent in five languages and holds a BA in Political Philosophy and Art History from Reed College, as well as an MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence.
In addition to her acting career, Elissa has published a book, Spirit & Time, about Jazz drummers, as part of Blue Note Records' box set, The Blue Note Review. She also edits the magazine, Out of the Blue, and is the editor of the international art journal for the Laboratory Arts Collective.
