In the summers of 2018 and 2019 Leslie Ayvazian was working on her new play?Mention My Beauty?in residency with New York Theatre Workshop at Dartmouth College and Adelphi University, respectively.? Leslie is the author of 8 full-length plays and 7 one-act plays, published variously by Samuel French and Dramatist Play Service. Some have been included in annual anthologies of best plays.?Nine Armenians?won the John Gassner/Outer Critics Circle Award for best new American play, The Roger L. Stevens Award, and second place for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.?Rosemary and I?received an honorable mention from the Susan Smith Blackburn jury. Her play?Singer’s Boy?premiered at ACT in San Francisco, directed by Carey Perloff and starring Olymptia Dukakis and Michelle Shay.? Leslie has received commissions from the Manhattan Theatre Club, Wind Dance Films and South Coast Repertory Theatre.?High Dive?was produced at the Long Wharf Theatre and the Manhattan Class Company, directed by David Warren, and went on to be produced in Poland and Slovakia. Her short film?Every Three Minutes?starring Olympia Dukakis was produced by Showtime and won a Telly Award. Her play?Deaf Day?was produced as a short film in Syria by Rana Kaz Kaz, and was included in the 2012 Palm Springs International Short Film Festival. Her latest short film,?The Favor, stars Olympia Dukakis, Margaret Colin, and John Pankow. A theatrical version of?The Favor?ran at City Theatre in 2013 and also had a production in The Ensemble Studio Theatre’s Spring festival of one-act plays. Her play?Out of the City?was produced at Merrimack Theatre, directed by Christian Parker, who also directed?Make Me?at the Atlantic Theatre. Her one-act play?Above it All?recently toured the Miami FL school system. Her play?100 Aprils?premiered in 2018 at the Rogue Machine Theatre in Los Angeles. Leslie is an Adjunct Associate Professor of dramaturgy at the Columbia University Graduate School of the Arts. Her credits as an actress include a recurring role on?Law & Order – SVU?and roles on Broadway in?Lost in Yonkers?and Naked Girl on the Apian Way.
Theatre
Ghost Light, Meet the Dramaturg: Professor Leslie Ayvazian
Ghost Light, Meet the Dramaturgs is a Theatre series featuring Columbia Dramaturg students, faculty, and alumni, learning about their work, aspirations, and pandemic passion projects.
Theatre
Alumni & Faculty in New York Stage Winter 2020 Season
The?New York Stage And Film Company?2020 Winter Season will feature the writing and composing talents of Columbia alumni?Kareem Fahmy?’07 and?Christina Quintana?’13 alongside adjunct associate professor?Leslie Ayvazian.
Theatre
Original Play by Professor Leslie Ayvazian Featured in Second Annual Liz Smith Reading Series
Today, April 2nd,?Mention My Beauty,?an?original play by Adjunct Associate Professor?Leslie Ayvazian?and directed by Martha Banta will be part of the Second Annual Liz Smith Reading Series at The Cherry Lane Theatre.
Concentration Head, Playwriting
Associate Professor of Professional Practice, Theatre
Term Appointment 2022-2023 Academic Year