Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros
Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros is a notable American playwright and actress hailing from a theatrical family in New York City. She attended the High School of Performing Arts and later pursued her undergraduate studies at Tisch School for the Arts at New York University. Gersten-Vassilaros began her career in acting at various regional theaters, but she gained significant recognition as a playwright with her debut work, "My Thing of Love," which premiered in 1995 and received a Joseph Jefferson Award. Her most acclaimed play, "Omnium Gatherum," co-created with fellow playwright Theresa Rebeck, premiered in 2003 and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in Drama for its sharp political satire addressing contemporary issues in America.
In addition to her writing, Gersten-Vassilaros has acted in numerous plays across the country and made appearances on television, including roles in the series "Law & Order." A strong advocate for women in theater, she is also involved with various organizations that support the arts. Gersten-Vassilaros is married to John Vassilaros, with whom she has three sons, and they reside in New York City. Her contributions to both theater and advocacy for working mothers highlight her commitment to the arts and the community.
Subject Terms
Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros
Playwright
- Born: ca. 1960
- Birthplace: New York, New York
Contribution: Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros is an American playwright and actor. Her 2004 play Omnium Gatherum, which she coauthored with Theresa Rebeck, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Background
Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros grew up in a theatrical family in New York City. Her mother was an actor, and her father was a stage manager. Her paternal uncle, Bernard Gersten, is the longtime executive producer at New York’s famed Lincoln Center Theater.
As a teenager, Gersten-Vassilaros attended New York’s High School of Performing Arts before receiving her undergraduate education at Tisch School for the Arts at New York University.
Career
Gersten-Vassilaros began her career as an actor, appearing at several regional theaters throughout the United States. Her early work included performances at notable theaters such as the Yale Repertory Theater, New York Stage and Film, and the Ensemble Studio Theatre.
Her first produced work as a playwright was 1995’s My Thing of Love, which premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago and was performed on Broadway to largely positive reviews, winning a Joseph Jefferson Award. The play’s original performance featured Emmy Award–winning actress Laurie Metcalf. Gersten-Vassilaros followed this play with Supple in Combat (1996) and Mother of Invention (2003).
In 2002 Gersten-Vassilaros began her collaboration with friend and fellow playwright Theresa Rebeck on a work that would become her most acclaimed to date, Omnium Gatherum. The play premiered in 2003 at the Humana Festival in Louisville, Kentucky and was produced Off-Broadway in New York.
Influenced by Tom Wolfe’s 1970 article “Radical Chic,” the play centers around a dinner party whose attendees represent various intellectual and social voices grappling with the issues prevalent in the United States following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Topics addressed by the increasingly vociferous guests range from Islamic terrorism, US foreign policy, and the Arab-Israeli conflict to veganism, Star Trek, and the food being served. The political satire, whose name comes from the Latin phrase meaning denoting a miscellaneous collection, was praised by critics for both its darkly humorous dialogue and its impressive production. Omnium Gatherum was nominated as one of three finalists for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in Drama.
Also in 2004, Gersten-Vassilaros returned to the stage as an actor following several years away to work on her writing and raise her children. That year, she appeared in Nicky Silver’s Off-Broadway play Beautiful Child, about a middle-aged couple’s faltering marriage and their troubled son.
In 2005, her one-act The Airport Play was produced, and she also premiered The Argument, exploring a couple’s differing views over the topic of abortion. In February of 2013, her play Meantime War/Meantime Home, chronicling the personal trauma of Iraq War soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, was showcased in a series of workshops at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.
In addition to Beautiful Child, Gersten-Vassilaros has acted in plays throughout the United States, including Lawrence Roman’s Alone Together, Sam Kass’s Lusting after Pipino’s Wife, Edward Belling’s Made in Heaven, Eve Ensler’s Ladies, and Michael Weller’s Loose Ends.
Gersten-Vassilaros is lifetime member of the Actors Studio, HB Playwrights Foundation, and the PEN American Center. She has also made several appearances as a television actress, notably in the 1990s on the renowned criminal drama series Law & Order.
Impact
Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros has carried on her family’s tradition as a highly active and important contributor to contemporary American theater. She remains a staunch advocate for women in theater and for working mothers in the arts.
Personal Life
Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros is married to John Vassilaros, owner of the Queens-based Vassilaros & Sons coffee company, and they have three sons, Tonio, Luka, and Stefano. They live in New York City.
Principal Works
My Thing of Love, 1995
Omnium Gatherum, 2003
The Airport Play, 2005
The Argument, 2005
Bibliography
“Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros.” Playing on Air. Playing on Air, 2013. Web. 23 July 2013.
“Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros.” Vineyard Theatre. Vineyard Theatre, 2013. Web. 23 July 2013.
Brantley, Ben. “A Feisty Feast of Wicked Wit.” Rev. of Omnium Gatherum. New York Times. New York Times Co., 26 Sept. 2003. Web. 23 July 2013.
Horwitz, Simi. “A Playwright Returns to Acting.” Backstage. Backstage, 10 Mar. 2004. Web. 23 Jul 2013.
Moschen, Isabelle. “Onstage, Trying to Connect to a Faraway War.” New York Times. New York Times Co., 8 Feb. 2013. Web. 23 July 2013.
Simonson, Robert. “The Growing Gersten Clan.” New York Sun. TWO SL, 13 July 2004. Web. 23 July 2013.