Touchstone moments:
CLICK... CLICK... CLICK... WHY THESE THREE PICS?
New Works! Classics! Culturally Specific and Non-Traditional Casting! What matters to me is compelling storytelling, smart language, an emotional connection and an empathy that crosses societal borders to connect audiences with powerful, quirky, complex human narratives in imaginative, moving and entertainingly unexpected ways.
IN THE FIRST: I play "The Chrysler Building" (that gorgeous iconic art-deco building!) in the world premiere of Matt Schatz's Award-Winning Play, THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD. (NY Times clip)
IN THE THIRD: I play "Honey Harlow" opposite Nathan Darrow (HOUSE OF CARDS) in THREE GIFTS FOR LENNY BRUCE, written by Jim Knable (The Orchard Project, 2015!), and directed by Susan Hyon for Target Margin Theatre's Yiddish Lab Series.
AND IN THE MIDDLE? I am "Diana Sands," whose life and art gather the pieces in one glorious figure of possibility: new works, classics, stage, tv and film! (read Backstage review here)
One of Diana Sands' early roles was with NY's Yiddish Theater. It's where she first worked with Ruby Dee, thus landing Diana an audition for RAISIN. When I played her in May 2012, how could I have known in 2013/14 (just back from Stratford Festival), I'd be cast in two Target Margin Theater Yiddish Labs: THREE GIFTS FOR LENNY BRUCE pictured above; and CELIA based on the avant-garde poet Celia Dropkin, in which I performed one of Dropkin's poems entirely in Yiddish! I am deeply grateful for my fellow actors, writers, directors, artistic directors and producers, and most especially audiences who deeply believe our rich human diversity can and should occupy the same frame.
New Works! Classics! Culturally Specific and Non-Traditional Casting! What matters to me is compelling storytelling, smart language, an emotional connection and an empathy that crosses societal borders to connect audiences with powerful, quirky, complex human narratives in imaginative, moving and entertainingly unexpected ways.
IN THE FIRST: I play "The Chrysler Building" (that gorgeous iconic art-deco building!) in the world premiere of Matt Schatz's Award-Winning Play, THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD. (NY Times clip)
IN THE THIRD: I play "Honey Harlow" opposite Nathan Darrow (HOUSE OF CARDS) in THREE GIFTS FOR LENNY BRUCE, written by Jim Knable (The Orchard Project, 2015!), and directed by Susan Hyon for Target Margin Theatre's Yiddish Lab Series.
AND IN THE MIDDLE? I am "Diana Sands," whose life and art gather the pieces in one glorious figure of possibility: new works, classics, stage, tv and film! (read Backstage review here)
One of Diana Sands' early roles was with NY's Yiddish Theater. It's where she first worked with Ruby Dee, thus landing Diana an audition for RAISIN. When I played her in May 2012, how could I have known in 2013/14 (just back from Stratford Festival), I'd be cast in two Target Margin Theater Yiddish Labs: THREE GIFTS FOR LENNY BRUCE pictured above; and CELIA based on the avant-garde poet Celia Dropkin, in which I performed one of Dropkin's poems entirely in Yiddish! I am deeply grateful for my fellow actors, writers, directors, artistic directors and producers, and most especially audiences who deeply believe our rich human diversity can and should occupy the same frame.
Summer 2015: I played "Gertrude" in Toronto-based Driftwood Theatre's HAMLET Variorum, a First Quarto adaptation----including that rarely if ever done scene between "Gertrude" & "Horatio!" YES! And... we toured Southern Ontario's wine country, swam at the gorgeous Sandbanks Beach, and performed Shakespeare under the stars.
"Five Historic Children Who Are Not"
Target Margin Theater's Gertrude Stein Lab @ Bushwick Starr
In 2014/15, TARGET MARGIN THEATER invited me to Lead/Direct a Gertrude Stein Lab.
The Result? FIVE HISTORIC CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT pictured here:
@ The Bushwick Starr
The Result? FIVE HISTORIC CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT pictured here:
@ The Bushwick Starr
I was still in rehearsals for KING LEAR at Chicago Shakes, when David Herskovits and John Del Guadio of Target Margin Theater called. I hadn't donned my director's cap in a while, but was certainly game.
For my foray into Stein's exquisite strangeness, I assembled a fearless cast and invited Dancer/Choreographer Pilar Castro-Kiltz, Composer Janice Lowe and Lighting Designer, Megan Lang to join my team.
FIVE HISTORIC CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT ran at The Bushwhick Starr in January 2015.
Stage Managed by Liz Nielsen. Production Manager: Ann Marie Dorr.
Lead Artist: Nehassaiu deGannes
Cast: Amanda Dolan, Shykia Fields, Mariam Habib, Bryce Johnson, Tuck Milligan, Ravin Patterson, Sarah Pierce, & Carsey Walker, Jr.
Photos by Erik Carter.
For my foray into Stein's exquisite strangeness, I assembled a fearless cast and invited Dancer/Choreographer Pilar Castro-Kiltz, Composer Janice Lowe and Lighting Designer, Megan Lang to join my team.
FIVE HISTORIC CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT ran at The Bushwhick Starr in January 2015.
Stage Managed by Liz Nielsen. Production Manager: Ann Marie Dorr.
Lead Artist: Nehassaiu deGannes
Cast: Amanda Dolan, Shykia Fields, Mariam Habib, Bryce Johnson, Tuck Milligan, Ravin Patterson, Sarah Pierce, & Carsey Walker, Jr.
Photos by Erik Carter.
52P LARGER THAN LIFE: THE SUPERSIZED PLAYS
featuring Edie Falco, Frank Wood and Bobby Cannavale! December 11 - 13, 2015.
I love volunteering for 52P. In the past few years, I've been part of the Poetry & Performance and Dancemaking New Platform Programs and I directed a Playmaking Show in 2014, so it was great to act in a Playmaking Show again. This time, I played "Felicia" a social media app whose greatest fear is being lost in the space-time continuum! Will my conscience "Sharisa" (Mallory Portnoy) help me make the right decision!?
"The Internet Is In Your Mind" by brilliant kid playwright, Lily Kuzminski, was directed by Rebecca Martinez.
9 Plays in 2 hours of "supersized" fun.
Link to the Broadway World Press Release!
featuring Edie Falco, Frank Wood and Bobby Cannavale! December 11 - 13, 2015.
I love volunteering for 52P. In the past few years, I've been part of the Poetry & Performance and Dancemaking New Platform Programs and I directed a Playmaking Show in 2014, so it was great to act in a Playmaking Show again. This time, I played "Felicia" a social media app whose greatest fear is being lost in the space-time continuum! Will my conscience "Sharisa" (Mallory Portnoy) help me make the right decision!?
"The Internet Is In Your Mind" by brilliant kid playwright, Lily Kuzminski, was directed by Rebecca Martinez.
9 Plays in 2 hours of "supersized" fun.
Link to the Broadway World Press Release!
April 23rd, 2015: Shakespeare's Birthday, also had me buzzing back n forth between 52P's Dancemaking Program and The Century Club, where I played "Juliet" in the Balcony Scene from R&J (complete & uncut!), opposite the wonderful Peter Macklin, in an evening titled Shakespeare's Musicals, curated and produced by Gordon Hyatt, Music Direction by Kamel Boutros, and directed by Pat Birch. A fantastic mash up of Shakespeare's plays & the musicals they inspired, I had a glorious time.
Had a great time at Dixon Place playing "Jean" in Emma Stanton's swingin' new play, JITTERBUG. Kudos to our insightful Director, Marina McClure, with whom I first worked at VoxFest 2014 (on Aleshea Harris' ROAD KILL GIANT.)
recent highlights
In 2013, Nehassaiu debuted at The Stratford Festival in Canada, playing "Lady Capulet" in Romeo & Juliet, directed by Tim Carroll, whose Broadway productions of Twelfth Night and Richard III garnered him a 2014 Tony Nomination! Nehassaiu also played "Anne of Austria, Queen of France" in The Three Musketeers, directed by Miles Potter, and appeared in Antoni Cimolino's production of The Merchant of Venice.
February 2014
Nehassaiu spoke on TFANA's Panel exploring race, color and casting in contemporary American Shakespeare, with actors John Douglas Thompson and Jacob Ming-Trent, and scholar Ayanna Thompson.
Nehassaiu spoke on TFANA's Panel exploring race, color and casting in contemporary American Shakespeare, with actors John Douglas Thompson and Jacob Ming-Trent, and scholar Ayanna Thompson.
EQUUS.. and... A SONG FOR MY FATHER
Nehassaiu brings compassion and sensitivity to her portrayal of "The Nurse" in Sir Peter Shaffer's award-winning play, EQUUS, directed by Tony Walton and starring Alec Baldwin and Sam Underwood. Then at Oldcastle Theatre, where Melissa Leo has starred in recent years, Nehassaiu creates "Nurse Betty," in the Equity premiere of poet-playwright David Budbill's moving new play, A SONG FOR MY FATHER.
