Alexandra Gellner

CURRENT:

I have been adopted by the OUR BAR family, a team of theatre artists who put up a show every month of ten scenes that could legitimately happen (in this realm, or another) in that bar, that night. Audience members grab a drink, find a seat and watch the stories unfold.

Shows are the first Wednesday of every month at 7 & 9pm

Failte Irish Whiskey Bar (531 2nd Ave)

july 2018:

So psyched to be back on set with Daniel Solé for his new pilot: 'THE INSURGENCY BROADCAST' on Vimeo.

I play Elaine who loves gardening but is unimpressed with web documentaries.

starring the annoyingly handsome David Riley

april 2018:

Full month of performances with ‘LETTERS FROM ANNE AND MARTIN’ first at Bay Ridge Jewish Center, NY and then Wassmuth Center for Human Rights in Idaho.

"...time is always ripe to do right!" ~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

february/march 2018:

Blink and you might miss me in two hi-larious shorts from dearest darling Scary Mommy.

Thank you Scary Mommy for such a fun and silly time!

january 2018:

I appear in an Uber| 90 Seconds short film, written and directed by Joe Raffanti! You might remember Joe from Steven Ray Morris' short film, The Premier, which you can find on my reels page.

Uber and 90 Seconds partnered to host a unique film festival, exclusive to the 90 Seconds creator network and video community across the USA. Joe's script, 'BABY ON BOARD' was one of the top 12 finalists to receive $3,000 to produce his own 90seconds short film.

october 2017:

I was honored to be back at Clinton Presidential Center to portray Anne, this time in ‘LETTERS FROM ANNE & MARTIN,’ and represent Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect.

& on the lighter side…

I was back at it with Teen Radio in the NYC Sketch Festival at the People’s Improv Theatre.

august 2017:

It was the summer of Shakespeare!

I got to revisit Arden and take a romp in Rosalind/Ganymede's shoes again in Brimstone Creek Productions’ premier production of 'AS YOU LIKE IT' with so many of my fellow New School chums!

& then…

I appeared in 'JULIUS CAESAR' for The Brick's Shakespeare in the Theater Fest! A reduced cast in a reduced script - 5 actors, 90 minutes. I played Casca, the Soothsayer, Lucius, Artemidorus, Lepudis, Tinius, Strato…you name it.

july 2017:

At long last, New Dance Theatre and Access Theater present ASYLUM.
We all know someone who has been affected by the stigmas associated with mental health care. With ASYLUM, New Dance Theatre explores the gestures of living in a world of stigma, and how we can find the compassion we need to feel -- if not healthy -- at least human.

june 2017:

Thrilled to announce that I received recommended passes on my certification in both Unarmed and Single Sword combat for the stage!

Congratulations to the entire Spring '17 session of Neutral Chaos who ALL received recommended passes in their weapons!!! How do I get so lucky in being in classes with such talented people?! Thank you to my kick ass partners and teachers at Neutral Chaos- you made us the fighters we are today.

april 2017:

I had my first performance as Anne in “Conversations with Anne” in the New York City area in observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Ha Shoah).

Thank you Bay Ridge Jewish Center for hosting us!

february/march 2017:

I had the pleasure of reading the role of Guildenstern in Ready Set Go Theatre Company's (remember them?!) staged reading fundraiser for 'HAMLET: the online series' which took place at the New Ohio Theatre. The evening featured beer, wine, and excerpts from John Hurley's adaptation of the famous tragedy set in modern-day Georgia. Stay tuned to hear more on the project!

&

I joined STEPS Theatre with the premier of the English translation of their original play 'ASK JOSEPH' by Slava Stepnov and Roman Freud, translated from Russian by Asya Stepnova. It's a unique drama in which a distinct echo of Chekhov’s "Seagull" intertwines with the life and artistic career of the Noble Prize winner Joseph Brodsky.

&

New Dance Theatre (remember us?!) has begun a massive fundraising campaign to bring our newest work, 'ASYLUM' to audiences in New York City this July! Donate today!

january 2017:

Museum of Science & History, Jacksonville, hosted an Anne Frank Center exhibit, 'Anne Frank: A History for Today,' and our performance program, Letters from Anne and Martin, starring Wesli Spencer. This was my first time playing Anne in this particular show, which features the writings of both Anne and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Not only did we get to perform in the beautiful Jacksonville Main Public Library but also in the historic Ritz Theatre and Museum.

We then continued the journey to Cleveland, OH at Ursuline College where we we had an excellent post-show discussion with the audience and Fran Levy, the Founder and Director of the Anne Frank Moral Courage Project, and Dr. Julian Earls, retired director of NASA Glenn Research Center and currently Executive in Residence at Cleveland State University.

december 2016:

I got a reunion with my high school music teacher, mentor in life and hometown hero, Carol Jacobson, who conducts the Eureka Symphony. I had the honor of narrating Raymond Briggs', 'THE SNOWMAN' while the symphony played Howard Blake's beautiful musical orchestration for the story, as part of the symphony's holiday concert.

november 2016:

BIG MONTH IN 'ADHERENCE' NEWS!

'ADHERENCE' had its New York premier at the Big Apple Film Festival and was screened at Village East Cinemas! We missed the official step and repeat but took advantage of the backdrop with director Mav Block, AD Peter Zachwieja, and gorgeous actor/model, Kristin Granade.

&

We screened and got nominated at the First Glance Film Festival Philadelphia in three categories:
Best Ensemble Cast in a Short Film
Best Actor in a Short Film, David Riley
and I was nominated for Best Actress in a Short Film!

We took home Best Ensemble and Best Actress

october 2016:

july 2016:

I had the great honor of playing Rosalind in 'AS YOU LIKE IT' with The Cradle Theatre Company, concluding their 2015-2016 season. Set in the present day and emphasizing exploration of sexuality and gender identity, we brought William Shakespeare's beloved pastoral romp to the landscape of Prospect Park and Fort Greene.

and

this month marks the official beginning of New Dance Theatre's residency at Access Theater! Lots of work coming down the pipe with Asylum so stay tuned!

may 2016:

New Dance Theatre joined four groups of artists in New Light Theater Project's Darkroom Series 11 to share and further develop our piece, Asylum.

Stay tuned for further details on the piece and our collaborations with New Light Theater Project at Access Theatre!

...and...

Turnings, directed by Robert Herzog, written by himself and Thomas Mentel, in which I had a small supporting role, had its premier at the Columbia University Film Festival on May 13th and went on to receive JURY HONORS in the festival!

It was wonderful to see the cast and crew again- it's been about a year since we got together to bring this story of jealousy and conscience to life.

When Kenny is passed over for a promotion, he makes a decisive choice that sends a co-worker to the hospital and leaves him to suffer with the moral consequences.

It will be released along with the Top 5 Jury Selects in the CUFF 2016 DVD in August.

...AND...

I reunited with the crazy kids of Teen Radio at The PIT in The Golf Masters! 

There were Tiger Woods jokes, Space Jam, some light-hearted divorce themes, and Utz party mix. 

Looking forward to the next party with them!

april 2016:

My alma mater, The New School for Drama, had me back for a lovely heartfelt play called Chained Woman, by Lorne Svarc.

Directed by 2016 Drama League Classical Directing Fellow, Noa Egozi, as part of the NEW VOICES Playwrights Festival!

Sarah Kandelshein is an ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman. When her abusive husband refuses to grant her a religious divorce, she must choose between her freedom and her faith – that is until a “gangster” rabbi offers his services to help “change her husband’s mind".

march 2016:

New Dance Theatre returned to Emerging Artists Theatre as part of their "Best of the New Works Series" with our new work in progress, Asylum.

A doctor struggles to provide support to his patients, while they in turn face the ghosts that drove them to seek asylum.

We got a lot of excellent feedback and we are excited to keep developing this piece.

Stay tuned to hear more news about Asylum.

february 2016:

I made my Peoples Improv Theater debut with sketch comedy group, Teen Radio, as part of PIT's "Pilot Season"! 

I played with a possibly pregnant doll, argued with my undercover cop husband in a Brooklyn accent, played a dude named Mike, and unsuccessfully sang along to Talking Heads' 'Once in a Lifetime'.

Cannot wait to make laughs with these guys again!

january 2016:

I had the great pleasure of sharing the stage with one of my mentors, Jean E. Taylor, in an evening of pieces she had created: "The Basement Plays" at The Barrow Group!

I was puppeteering/clowning in 'PANTS & SKIRTS'. 

Dot, a bit of a recluse, lives contentedly in her bathrobe until a mob of pants and skirts infiltrate her basement apartment with the unswerving intention of being worn.

august 2015: 

News from the land of New Dance Theatre!

We had been hard at work developing a new piece inspired by Lamia, a narrative poem by John Keats, in collaboration with Theatre Uzume. A showing of our work in progress was open to the public and colleagues at 55 Bethune Street with a talk back and wine afterwards. Theatre Uzume is now continuing work on this piece!

july 2015:

Made my debut with The Cradle Theatre Company as the Nurse in Romeo & Juliet. Director, Rebecca Etzine, matched the youthful passion to the confusion and anger and desperate love of the young people of America circa 1960. In the midst of the first great youth movement in the country, and an ever-widening generation gap, it was the perfect setting for Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers.

"Gellner gave a potential one-off character life. The depth and heart Gellner discovered in the Nurse was incredible."       ~ Michael Block, Theater in the Now

It was such an amazing ride. I cannot wait for next time with these guys.

june 2015:

My second film with Mav Block (writer/director of Turncoat) is now in post-production ~ Adherence explores mental illness through the stories of three young adults in an inpatient psychiatric ward. I play Maddie, a modern Orthodox Jewish housewife, admitted for postpartum psychosis. I had such a blast working with a fantastic crew and playing alongside an amazingly talented cast including David Thomas Riley (fellow New School for Drama alumnus and Brooklyn: For Real Brooklynite) and Max Woertendyke (Juilliard School, Group 44).

may 2015:

I was reunited with my dear, fleecy, spectacled friend, Dr. Smith, and the ladies and gents of Fallen Swallow/Laughing Pigeon to bring back Coffee & Biscuit after our wonderful run at the NY International Fringe Festival last summer! And this time we were in our dream venue of HERE Arts Center as part of their SubletSeries!

march 2015:

There's a new webseries out, written and directed by Daniel Solé: Brooklyn: For Real-- a curated vérité glimpse into the non-linear lives of innovators and change makers. I had such a blast working with Daniel, Nate Heller, Eric Michael Pearson, and Carmen Grande to bring Alana to life as she hits the streets of Brooklyn to spread awareness of an issue that really hits home for her-- animal on animal violence.

Meanwhile: blink and you might miss me in R & J (the webseries), the latest series out by Ready Set Go Theatre Co. Director John Robert Hurley lays the scene of the tragic love story in modern-day Brooklyn where there resides two households, both alike in dignity and profession: butchery. Keep a look out in episode 1 and 8 where I play Beatrice Balthasar. Thanks to your support, we have submitted to a great number of film festivals across the nation (some even overseas) and have gained official selections and even won some awards!

february 2015:

'Twas was a month of readings! First, I visited the family at On Her Shoulders to participate in a trifecta of Suffragist Plays written by Mrs. Harlow Phibbs, Beatrice Harraden, Cicely Hamilton and Christopher St. John and directed by Melissa Attebery. Then I had the honor of reading the role of Heather in Jordan Cooper's award-winning play Black Boy Fly, directed by Stevie Walker-Webb.

Stay tuned for updates on future production of this brave new work.

december 2014:

On Her Shoulders had me back for their last reading of the year, the original play of "Chicago" by Maurine Watkins. I read for Moonshine Maggie, the inspiration for the innocent Hungarian prisoner, Hunyak, in the musical adaptation and Go-To-Hell Kitty. In association with New Perspectives Theatre Company and The New School for Drama.

november 2014:

Reprised my role as Harriet in Sam Byron's "Butcher", which was selected for a full-length reading after a riveting excerpt was shown during Wide Eyed Productions' Winks in August. It is now in consideration for Wide Eyed's next Fringe production.

october 2014:

Returned to my old stomping grounds at The New School for Drama, visiting some creepy British underworld creatures through mask work in "The Skriker" by Caryl Churchill, directed by Pitr Strait as part of NEW VISIONS Directing Festival!

AND Appeared as Shirley in a staged reading of "The Office" by Maria Irene Fornes, a presentation of On Her Shoulders, a New York City theatre initiative developing a series of staged readings of plays by women, written over ten centuries. In association with New Perspectives Theatre Company and The New School for Drama.

august 2014:

Performed in my first show at the New York City International Fringe Festival (and as a puppeteer) in Fallen Swallow/Laughing Pigeon's production of Coffee & Biscuit, a retelling of Ibsen's Dollhouse in 1950's suburban America.

Coffee & Biscuit was a Critic's Pick in Time Out New York with 4/5 ★'s

may/june 2014:

Appeared on the June Havoc stage at the Abingdon Theater downtown in the world premier of Born Liars by Laurence Cantor: an American re-imagining of "Le Bugie con le Gambe Lunghe" by Eduardo de Filippo. The premier production of Italytheater.

april 2014:

Proudly appeared in Family Business by Jane Flanagan at HB Studios, playing alongside Phil Carlson and directed by Julie Boyd.

and since the summer, filmmaker and cherished teacher, Ragnar Freidank, has made a lovely mini-documentary on the process of the cast of Pericles from The New Ensemble Workshop. Have a look into our process and at a couple of moments from the show:

february 2014:

Did a double-header with Double Down Productions as Anya in Maxim Gorky's The Lower Depths and as Zina in Chekhov's The Night Before the Trial, recently completed by Yuriy Pavlish.    

january 2014:

I had the pleasure of working together again with writer Alice Pencavel (The Spider & The Wasp April '13) and director Brad Raimondo (HamletOctober '12) in Nettles, proud semi-finalist for the Manhattan Repertory Theatre's Winter One Act Competition. 

december 2013:

The prologue to Turncoat, a new film by Mav Block, is officially wrapped and in post-production. I play one of the film's leads, Lauren Cobb, an FBI snitch, who becomes entangled with crime lord, Grey Matthews (played by Isaac Woofter), as the two plot to heist a shipment of prescription pills. Check out stillsand stay tuned for updates.

october 2013:

New Dance Theatre opened the Emerging Artists Theatre's Fall Festival with our debut piece, Stricken.

New Dance Theatre is a movement-based theatre company committed to utilizing a wide variety of expressive forms to investigate the human experiences that transcend spoken language: the points at which the pedestrian and the profound collide.

september 2013:

Made my debut at The Producers Club through the Endangered Artist Sanctuary in I Can Build You by Joe Brofcak, directed by Yuriy Pavlish, based off true events in the life of cult science fiction author, Philip K. Dick.

august 2013:

Had an amazing time shooting with director John Hurley and Ready Set Go Theatre Co. for their adaptation of 'Romeo and Juliet' in R & J (the webseries).  Stay up to date on production and episodes:

july 2013:

Busy month wearing my teaching artist hat: New Dance Theatre hosted a movement workshop for the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit and to receive their feedback on Stricken.

AND I was so honored to be part of the acting company for Naked Angels' 3Thursdays Benefit Reading -- 11 short plays written by public high school students read by professional actors. All funds supported the program's future life as a creative outlet for these very gifted and wonderful students!

june 2013:

The short film, The Spider & The Wasp, based off of the full length play of the same name is now available to view on Vimeo. It was a brief but sweet adventure and I was so glad I could reprise the role of Adria and revisit her love for Liv.

Filmed and edited by Ragnar Freidank / Directed by Christie Marie Clark / Screenplay by Alice Pencavel.

may/june 2013:

I was one of 16 artists in a collaborative production of Pericles as part of the Spring Shakespeare season presented by The New Ensemble Workshop, a theatre collective formed by and featuring the MFA Acting cohort of The New School for Drama's graduating class of 2013. Appeared as Antiochus's Daughter and Marina.

april 2013:

Originated the role of Adria in The Spider & The Wasp as part of NEW VOICES: The New School for Drama Playwrights Festival.
Adria and Liv’s relationship is crumbling – and the decision to move in together only adds further strain. When Liv gets in a debilitating bike accident, the two are forced to reassess the nature of their relationship, bringing to surface secrets, ethical differences, and painful truths.
Written by Alice Pencavel and directed by Christie Clark.

march 2013:

Appeared as Deborah Sampson, the first recognized female soldier who disguised herself as a man to fight in the American Revolution, in a staged reading of Susan Cameron's screenplay Rebel. All based on the true story of Deborah Sampson. Part of "A More Perfect History: A Symposium Celebrating International Women's Day" at The New School's Wollman Hall.

october 2012:

Portrayed Ophelia in The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark as part of NEW VISIONS: The New School for Drama Director Festival this month. Adapted and directed by Brad Raimondo.