NEWS old | elise-robertson

News

Guest-starring on Masters of Sex

Elise Robertson October 2016

I'm thrilled to be appearing on this wonderful show October 16th at 10 PM. I had an amazing time working with Caitlin Fitzgerald (as Libby Masters) in a scene that Caitlin called "the most interesting day I've had on set during my three years on the show." You'll have to watch to see why!

Winter Acting Classes Now Enrolling

Elise Robertson January 2016

This winter I've expanded my offerings by dividing the popular games class into two sections, one for younger kids ages 5-7, and a more advanced improvisation class for ages 8-12. This winter's Acting 101 class will have a strong focus on scenework, with students teaming up to work on comedy, drama, and even classical scenes. The adult pro actors workout is now on Tuesday evenings at 7:45 and is a great way to get in shape for pilot season! Click here for more info on classes

Fall Acting Classes Now Enrolling

Elise Robertson August 2015

This fall I am offering two classes for kids. Sunday at 3 PM is a theater games class, a playful and action-packed introduction to the basic skills of acting; listening, teamwork, imagination and confidence. The second segment, beginning at 4 PM, adds explores different types of performance. The ideal way to do the performance class is to start with the games class at 3, which provides a perfect warmup to the performance segment. By popular demand, the adult class is moving from Sunday evenings to Tuesdays at 7:30. Click here for more info on classes

Acting Class Scholarships Available for Two Highland Park Residents

Elise Robertson March 2015

To encourage and foster talent from the community, I am offering two partial scholarships to emerging local actors who might not otherwise be able to attend the class. If chosen, they will be invited to attend the entire twelve week session for just $100, a $250 discount off the usual price. Applicants should email me at elise@eliserobertson.com with their name, acting interest and experience, and what they hope to gain from the class. No previous acting experience is required, but applicants must commit to the entire class session and a minimum of two hours per week of personal rehearsal outside of class. 18 or older please and must be an HLP resident.

Adult Acting Class launches March 29th in Highland Park

Elise Robertson March 2015

I am thrilled to announce Highland's park's first professional acting class! It will be held at Twinkletoes Dance Studio, 5917 N. Figueroa on Sunday evenings beginning at 6 PM. This is a class geared towards working pros but also open to up-and-comers.

So many actors live here, and yet many drive to Hollywood or the Valley to attend classes and workshops. I hope this will be the beginning of a strong local acting community in NELA.

Elise Robertson in Critical and Box Office Smash American Sniper

January 2015

It was an honor and a thrill to work with legendary director Clint Eastwood on this film. To make it even better, one of my shoot days was right here in Highland Park. I walked to work! If you haven't seen the film, it's a compelling drama about the effect of war on the men and women who fight and their families. I play Debby Kyle, the Mother of sniper and war hero Chris Kyle, in scenes from his childhood.

Mommy Tell Me a Story returning to LA Webfest, nominated

for writing, acting

February 2012

Team Mommy Tell Me a Story is thrilled to returning to LA Webfest, the first and largest web series festival in the world. This year we are nominated in two categories, writing (congrats to Mouncey Ferguson, Cricket Ginty, Steve Statler, and Elise Robertson) and lead actress (Elise Robertson). We are thrilled to be in attendance again and hope to see you there! April 2-5 at the Universal Hilton. More soon on screening times and panel appearances.

Multi-Festival Winner Continues on 2020 Virtual Circuit

LOS ANGELES (July 31, 2020) – Director Elise Robertson (PBS, Freestyle) explores the emotional unraveling of Wendy Darling 15 years after her return from Neverland in the multiple award-winning dramatic period short film, DARLING, DARLING, WENDY.

Since premiering on the festival circuit, DARLING, DARLING, WENDY has earned numerous top prizes, including: ‘Grand Remi Award – Best Short’ at Worldfest Houston 2020; ‘Indie Spirit Award – Best Short’ and a Mary Austin Achievement in Directing nomination at Idyllwild Int’l Festival of Cinema 2020; ‘Best Short’ at Louisville Int’l Film Fest 2019, Culver City Film Fest 2019 and a nomination at Beaufort Int’l Film Fest 2020, ‘Audience Award’ at Highland Park Independent Film Fest 2019; as well as awards for cinematography, costumes, score, and SFX.

This dark and emotionally complex tale continues on the virtual festival circuit, including screenings at Sonoma Int’l Film Fest, San Diego Film Week, FilmQuest and various others.

DARLING, DARLING, WENDY follows Wendy Darling (Katherine Sainte Marie) who, once upon a time, travelled to Neverland with Peter Pan and had a magical experience—she fought pirates and won battles. Then she decided to go home. Fifteen years later, living as a woman in turn-of-the-century London, she has a daughter of her own, but no independence and no rights. Aching to be free again and consumed with jealousy at the thought that Peter Pan (Ty Shelton) might take her daughter on a new adventure, Wendy camps out in the nursery determined to convince Peter to take her to Neverland instead.

Robertson got involved with the project when writer/producer/actress Katherine Sainte Marie brought a scene from Darling, Darling, Wendy into an acting class Robertson was teaching. “It was fascinating to explore the psychological consequences of Wendy’s trip to Neverland in contrast to the boys in the story. They come home and grow up to become responsible adults,” Robertson explains. “But that’s the Hero’s Journey. Wendy returns from Neverland to 1904 London where, as a female, she has no rights and so cannot really become a true grownup. Since returning was her choice, she is trapped in a prison of her own making, and it destroys her. She wishes she’d stayed with Peter Pan.”

Once Robertson signed on, she and Sainte Marie assembled a team of nearly all women to bring the piece to life, including cinematographer Beth Napoli with her female camera crew, Production Designer Frida R. Oliva and editor Mengfang Yang. “It was really lovely to have so many women in the room,” says Robertson, “the vibe on set was really mellow and supportive considering the crazy long nights we filmed.”

As a storyteller, Robertson is best known for her dramatic adaptations of literary works for PBS, including Peabody-nominated Ralph Ellison's King of the Bingo Game and dramatic scenes from Invisible Man for the American Masters documentary on Ellison. She won a Northern California Directing Emmy for her work on the family series Adventures With Kanga-Roddy, and has created acclaimed parenting web comedy for both Nick Mom and MomMayhem. In 2012, she took a different tone directing the feature-length dark period thriller Donner Pass, and continues to excel with period settings and stories with meaningful social commentary.

Many audiences will recognize Robertson from her work in front of the camera. She has appeared in over 100 film, television and commercial projects, including the Academy Award-nominated film American Sniper, and hit TV series such as NCIS, Masters of Sex, Criminal Minds, American Vandal, This Is Us. A Pittsburgh, PA native, Robertson graduated from Northwestern University's theatre department with a minor in fine art.

Coming soon, Robertson can be seen as the wife of Danny Trejo in the film From a Son, alongside Amanda Plummer and Judy Davis in an episode of Neflix’s Ratched, in the television movie thriller Deadly Sugar Daddy, and on the virtual Zoom stage in White Nights, Black Paradise, presented by the Museum of the African Diaspora in late August. Robertson is also currently writing a one-woman show about Rachel Carson, matriarch of the modern environmental movement.

DARLING, DARLING, WENDY – Upcoming Festival Screenings:

Sonoma International Film Festival

August 1, 2020 – virtual

Tickets $10 through Eventive

https://watch.eventive.org/sonoma2020/play/5f1751125b41f200772f7cd1

http://www.sonomafilmfest.org

IFF on the Beach, Bulgaria

August 8, 2020 - in person

https://www.iffonthebeach.com

Women in Film and Media Pittsburgh

August 15-16, 2020 – virtual

Free tickets