Elissa Middleton left her home in Los Angeles at 15 and lived for several years in Europe and South America before settling in New York. She speaks 5 languages with impressive fluency; holds advanced degrees in both Biochemistry and Fine Arts; and did her BA in Political Philosophy and Art History at Reed College. Among her other occupations she has skippered yachts, co-piloted planes, and designed gardens in Spain and eastern Long Island. She has also written and published about contemporary art and literature.
Recent roles include 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. Her husband Clark directed her and the great Matthew Cowles in Craig Lucas' Reckless; and she did William Leavengood's one-woman play Special, about autism, at Theatre Row. Also rumored: Ms Middleton and Tony Torn are working on a production of Harold Pinter's Ashes to Ashes, which Torn will direct.
