photo by Daniel R Myers
Born and raised in Seattle, WA, Telisa knew by the tender age of four that she wanted to be an actor. While in pre-school she helped her father rehearse for a production of "The Bad Seed" that he was performing in, this began her fascination with exploring and portraying disturbed characters living in torment.
Since then she has had the opportunity to play a mixed variety of characters including: a morphine addict on a path of destruction & overdose (Long Day's Journey Into Night); a schizophrenic assassin obsessed with the aesthetics of murder (The Aesthetics of Murder); and a recluse actress habitually re-enacting the murder/suicide of her parents (Out-Cry or The Two-Character Play). Telisa has also had the fortune of playing the more universal roles of: the co-ed bombshell under attack by unseen evil (Eyes in the Dark); a woman searching for passion outside of her stale relationship (What Light); and the lost and lovelorn woman who confronts her boyfriend and his inability to commit (Flip Loose Valentine).
Telisa is also a producer and Managing Director / Website Designer of New Amerikan Theatre, which gives her a greater outlet for her creative vision. In November of 2010 NAT produced the stage-play Stings Like Acid, which Telisa co-wrote with fellow company members. Stings Like Acid was in part a study of the human psyche and the confrontation of one's own inner demons.
She began studying ballet as an adult and has spent the last seven years dancing at Spectrum Dance Theater under the direction of Erricka Turner-Davis (best known for her portrayal of Mary in Black Nativity); and Kabby Mitchell III (choreographer of Black Nativity). Her interests in body-movement have led her to the study of Gyrokinesis (often called yoga for dancers), and Butoh (an avant garde form of dance which originated in Japan after WWII).
Telisa is driven, dedicated, and committed to creating art that is genuine and explicit in it's distinctive expression. She is always eager to collaborate with like-minded individuals on new and exciting projects.
Since then she has had the opportunity to play a mixed variety of characters including: a morphine addict on a path of destruction & overdose (Long Day's Journey Into Night); a schizophrenic assassin obsessed with the aesthetics of murder (The Aesthetics of Murder); and a recluse actress habitually re-enacting the murder/suicide of her parents (Out-Cry or The Two-Character Play). Telisa has also had the fortune of playing the more universal roles of: the co-ed bombshell under attack by unseen evil (Eyes in the Dark); a woman searching for passion outside of her stale relationship (What Light); and the lost and lovelorn woman who confronts her boyfriend and his inability to commit (Flip Loose Valentine).
Telisa is also a producer and Managing Director / Website Designer of New Amerikan Theatre, which gives her a greater outlet for her creative vision. In November of 2010 NAT produced the stage-play Stings Like Acid, which Telisa co-wrote with fellow company members. Stings Like Acid was in part a study of the human psyche and the confrontation of one's own inner demons.
She began studying ballet as an adult and has spent the last seven years dancing at Spectrum Dance Theater under the direction of Erricka Turner-Davis (best known for her portrayal of Mary in Black Nativity); and Kabby Mitchell III (choreographer of Black Nativity). Her interests in body-movement have led her to the study of Gyrokinesis (often called yoga for dancers), and Butoh (an avant garde form of dance which originated in Japan after WWII).
Telisa is driven, dedicated, and committed to creating art that is genuine and explicit in it's distinctive expression. She is always eager to collaborate with like-minded individuals on new and exciting projects.
photo by Dara Rosenwasser
testimonial
"I had the pleasure of working with Telisa on Kyle Smith's short film Evanesce. She proved herself to be a dedicated professional, as well as excellent actress. I believe she'll do well at everything she sets her mind to."
-Katherine Sultan
PA, 2nd AD, Production Manager of Evanesce
