Andrea Assaf is a performer, writer, director, and cultural organizer. The founding Artistic Director of Art2Action Inc., she is also a consultant with Equity Quotient (EQ), and an Artist-in-Residence at the University of South Florida (USF) School of Theatre and Dance. Her original work, Eleven Reflections on September, has been featured at Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) as part of the CAATA National Asian American Theatre Festival, La MaMa, The Apollo Theatre, the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, and internationally. Other original works include Outside the Circle (with Samuel Valdez), and Fronteras Desviadas/Deviant Borders with Mujeres en Ritual Danza-Teatro. Directing credits include Speed Killed My Cousin by Linda Parris-Bailey (The Carpetbag Theater), breaking letter(s) by Suhier Hammad, and more. Awards include 2019 NEFA National Theatre Project, 2017 Finalist Freedom Plow Award for Poetry & Activism, 2019 & 2011 NPN Creation Fund commission, 2010 Princess Grace/Gant Gaither Theatre Award for Directing, and 2007 Hedgebrook Residency for “women authoring change.” Andrea has a Master’s degree in Performance Studies and a BFA in Acting, both from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She currently serves on the Boards of the Consortium of Asian American Theatres & Artists (CAATA), Alternate ROOTS, and the MENA Theatre Makers Alliance.
Photo credits: Barb Campbell (performance image) and LaMama (portrait image)
