hi there.
Thanks for visiting my website! My name is Ellen; I am a director, actress, and economic strategist currently based out of St. Louis, Missouri. I earned my MA in Theater and Performance Studies from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2025. I am currently pursuing a career as a director, actress, and entertainment consultant after graduation.
directing
As a director, I am most inspired by works that feature nonlinear narratives and offer opportunities for experimental uses of space. I enjoy creating theatrical worlds, microcosms of human existence that support the full emotional spectrum of a play and invite audiences to join the characters' journey, wherever it may lead. I draw from the codes, capabilities, and constructs of digital media to create theatre that helps—rather than hinders—the construction of embodied community.
Aesthetically, I am inspired by the work of the Théâtre du Soleil and plan to combine cultural forms and aesthetics from different traditions around the world as I progress in my professional career. The beginnings of this endeavor can be seen in my draft of Waiting for Komachi, the beginning of a kabuki play written for my Japanese Theater class at WashU.
My most recent directing credits include Silent Sky at the A. E. Hotchner Studio Theater, I And You at the Diamond Theater and Wanda's Visit, presented as part of my Directing II showcase at WashU this spring. My assistant directing credits include The Winter's Tale at the Edison Theater, Dr. Ride's American Beach House at St. Louis Actor's Studio, and Spring Awakening at the Diamond Theater.
acting
I sometimes like to joke that my journey in theater and film has been backwards: I started out on lighting crew in high school, got cast in a play with no experience after auditioning on a dare my first year at Lehigh University, and quickly pivoted to directing for the rewarding challenge it presents. Since moving to St. Louis, though, I've found myself on stage and in front of the camera far more often than I originally planned to be!
My most recent stage acting credits include Mrs. Bennett in Pride and Prejudice at the Edison Theater, ensemble roles and as a choreographer in The Winter's Tale, Lydia in Big Love, Lady M and Caliban as part of WashU at The Globe, and Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
My recent film credits include Isabel in Cherry Creek, Ashley and Laura in Callback, Anna in All Eyes on Anna, and Jen Gray in the radio drama A. S. S. U. M. E.
scholarship
As a scholar, my academic interests mainly lie in audience studies and the digital humanities. I am interested in how data can illuminate the ways spectators approach a performance event, regardless of whether that event is live or mediated. I am particularly interested in how the internet and fandom culture influence this process. My MA thesis, "Playing Through: Mixed-methods Strategies for Growing Regional Theatre in the Post-Pandemic Economy," is heavily influenced by my work as an actor and director. My thesis sits at the intersection of theory and praxis and considers how emerging technologies can be utilized by regional playhouses to attract postdigital audiences and assist their financial recoveries in the post-pandemic landscape.