Ellen Orenstein

Ellen Orenstein is an Associate Professor of Theatre Arts at Marymount Manhattan College, where she also serves as the Coordinator for Freshman/Sophomore Acting. She is actively engaged in teaching, directing, and scholarly writing within the field of theatre arts.

Education:

• B.A., Wesleyan University
• M.F.A., University of Washington

Her research and artistic interests focus on acting techniques, American realism, Viewpoints, and the adaptation of literary works for performance. She has directed numerous productions at Marymount Manhattan College and in New York City, with a particular emphasis on modern and contemporary plays. Her scholarly work explores the intersection of physics, art, and Chekhovian drama, reflecting a deep engagement with interdisciplinary performance theory.

The recent publication and upcoming book chapter indicate a sustained scholarly trajectory centered on theatrical metaphor and dramatic interpretation. Her work bridges academic inquiry and practical stage direction.

Ellen is the Co-Artistic Director and Founder of the Blueprint Theater Project, where she co-created and directed The Human Variations. She has participated in the 8th Annual International Symposium for Directors in Spoleto, Italy, engaging with leading international theatre practitioners. Her writings have appeared in American Theatre, TheatreForum, International Theatre Journal, and Theatre Journal.

She teaches core acting courses including Acting I (Contemporary), Acting II (American Realism), and Viewpoints. She is currently co-adapting Kathryn Harrison’s novel Exposure for the stage, demonstrating ongoing creative development and collaboration.

Her professional directing work includes productions such as Our Town, The Adding Machine, In The Boom Boom Room, Tartuffe, The Seagull (as assistant director with Dianne Wiest and Alan Cumming), and the staged reading of Surfacing, which received a nomination for Most Outstanding Overall Production of a Reading at the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity.