In 1997 and 1998, Denise was chosen to represent the United States for the International Artistic and Cultural Exchange (IACE) in two consecutive festivals, one touring southern Spain and the other in Mexico City. "IACE is a gift. It gives young actors the chance to act before international audiences, to learn the value of collaboration, and to witness different creative interpretations from all over the world. Representing the USA was an honor." Denise was nominated for the Irene Ryans Award in 1998 for her roles as the sprite and mother in Federico Garcia Lorca's For the Love of Don Perlimplin and Belisa in Her Garden, performed in Mexico City and Buffalo, NY.
Teatro Italiano was founded by Denise and her Italian professor in Buffalo, N.Y., 1999. The troupe created the show On Being Woman: Dario Fo and Franca Rame's Female Parts, which intertwined dance and music inspired by three 20-30 minute feature monologues; the last monologue, entitled The Rape, was performed by Denise. The staging was filmed by The Ricecooker Video Productions and is still being shown in celebration of woman's spirit.
Denise as Caitlin O'Hare in Over the River & Through the Woods
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ABOUT DENISE ELIA Denise Elia, a native of Long Island, New York, grew up in a family and community with an appreciation for the arts. Movie nights at home included the greats like Laurel & Hardy and The Marx Brothers, Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn and Natalie Wood. She attended a school district known for its support of artistic and music programs. Advanced art and language courses helped enhance her creative impulses. She sang classical and jazz pieces in chorus, and studied the flute for 12 years. High school theatre helped her find the confidence she needed to overcome stage fright. From choral parts in musicals like The Pajama Game and 42nd Street, she stepped into Dorothy Gale's ruby slippers in The Wizard of Oz. Denise was presented with her high school’s award for outstanding student of the arts, combining elements of music, theatre and dance. Denise is graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo, Center for the Arts, with 2 majors: a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance and a B.A. in Italian Language and Literature. The university brought many opportunities for her to perform including roles in Cabaret, Agamemnon and Hot L Baltimore, and she participated in workshops hosted by the outstanding avant-garde Polish theatre, Gardzienice. Her natural grace in movement brought her the role of "La Dame" in Marcel Aymé's Le Passe-Muraille (The Passer Through Walls) in her mime artistry class, and she even played the title role in Hamlet during Shakespeare studies. She was trained in technical theatre, and stage-managed the run of Mrozek's Tango for the visiting Krakow Theatre of Poland.
Denise as Helene in Sweet Charity and Dawn in Lobby Hero
In 2000, Denise moved to Ontario, Canada, and joined Hamilton Theatre, Inc. She was a lead in their Vaudeville revue and cast in Pippin. With Whitby Courthouse Theatre in conjunction with Theatre Ontario, she was assistant director and assistant stage manager for Moliere's The Imaginary Invalid. "I was blessed to work with a fantastic director in sharing in her vision of the play, it was also rewarding to coach the young cast members to find the spark in their characters." With that in mind, Denise returned to NY in 2002 and taught basic acting for Cornell University Cooperative Extension. Denise currently resides in northern California and continues work with several theaters including Pacific Alliance Stage Co. at Spreckels, the Sonoma Rep, Loading Zone, Santa Rosa Players and Actors Theatre at The 6th Street Playhouse, and The Raven Players. Additionally, Denise is venturing into film, print, and voiceover work. View Denise's résumé and stay tuned for updates! Ciao! |
