Directing Portfolio
My name is Elena Cramer and I am a director based out of NYC. I am passionate about developing new work as well as bringing fresh perspective to classic pieces. I bring a feminist and queer lens to most of my work while prioritizing creating a world that feels incredibly human and grounded. My background in acting and costuming allows me to communicate well with people on all parts of my team and to understand their needs.
PAST PROJECTS
Stupid Boring Straight People by Seth Barnes
Stupid Boring Straight People will run at The Players Theatre April 4-21, 2024. This is Elena’s off-off Broadway directorial debut.
“Stupid Boring Straight People” is a play about what you think your friends think you think of them. Taking place on the outskirts of this Halloween Party, the play follows four couples, all portrayed by the same two actors, at different stages of their relationships. They flirt, fight, fall in love, gossip, stab each other in the back, and try desperately to guess each other’s costumes.
The Pimple Play by Seth Barnes
The Pimple Play was presented as a part of The Chain Theatre's Summer play festival. (This short play eventually became Stupid Boring Straight People.)
It's party time at Joey and Sarah's, but when Joey gets distracted by an impossible to reach zit, he and Sarah begin to come apart at the seams. Accusations are made and secrets are revealed as the couple tries with all their might to pop the gargantuan monstrosity.
Mariposa by Britney Quiroz
A virtual reading produced by Imaginarium Theatre Co. in NYC.
Mariposa is a story that explores the relationship between Mariposa, a First-Generation Chicana, and her father, Josué, an undocumented immigrant who struggles with alcoholism. Inspired by a culmination of similar stories amongst Mexican Latinas in the South Side of Chicago, Mariposa sheds light on the impact that generational trauma has on Mexican immigrant families. It is both a story of pain and unconditional love.
Summeryoung by Sophie McIntosh
A virtual reading produced by Platform Production Co.
Summeryoung follows four cousins as they look after their ailing grandmother and run-down family home over the course of one summer in the Northwoods. Each girl experiences a different coming of age, making discoveries about herself, her lineage, and the bond she shares with the other women in her family.
EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS
Clown Bar by Adam Szymkowicz
Assistant Director - Directed by Tyler Marchant
Long ago Happy left the Clown Bar and the organized clown crime world to work for the good guys. Now his junkie brother Timmy has been murdered and Happy returns to his old life to ask a few questions. But can he go home again without getting sucked into the seedy clown underbelly of vice and violence? Can he survive the gun toting clowns who used to be his friends or Blinky, the lady clown he left behind.
How To Defend Yourself by Lily Padilla (scene study)
Undergrad Directing Class
Seven college students gather for a DIY self-defense workshop after a sorority sister is raped. They learn to use their bodies as weapons. They learn to fend off attackers. They learn “not to be a victim.” Learning self-defense becomes a channel for their rage, anxiety, confusion, trauma and desire – lots of desire. HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF explores what you want, how to ask for it, and the insidious ways rape culture steals one's body and sense of belonging.
DIRECTING REEL
Highlights from How To Defend Yourself by Lily Padilla, Mariposa by Britney Quiroz, and Summeryoung by Sophie McIntosh
NEWS
STUPID BORING STRAIGHT PEOPLE AT THE PLAYERS THEATRE
Stupid Boring Straight People will run at The Players Theatre April 4-21, 2024. This is Elena’s off-off Broadway directorial debut.
“Stupid Boring Straight People” is a play about what you think your friends think you think of them. Taking place on the outskirts of this Halloween Party, the play follows four couples, all portrayed by the same two actors, at different stages of their relationships. They flirt, fight, fall in love, gossip, stab each other in the back, and try desperately to guess each other’s costumes.