Leslie Ayvazian
Encyclopedia
Leslie Ayvazian is an award-winning playwright and character actress.
Ms. Ayvazian is the recipient of the Roger L. Stevens
(1994) and the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize (1996) for her work Nine Armenians, which was produced at Manhattan Theatre Club
. She also received a fellowship from the New Jersey Council of the Arts and assistance from the New Harmony Writers Project in developing this play. Her numerous works have been produced on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in major regional theatres. Most recently, the Atlantic Theater Company
produced her play "Make Me" as part of their 2008-2009 Stage 2 season.
In addition to her writing achievements, Ms. Ayvazian is an accomplished actress and teacher. She also has appeared in the films Working Girl
, Alice
and Regarding Henry
, and is a recurring guest star in the series of the Law and Order franchise.
Ms. Ayvazian is currently an adjunct professor at the graduate school of Columbia University
.
Ms. Ayvazian is the recipient of the Roger L. Stevens
Roger L. Stevens
Roger Lacey Stevens was an American theatrical producer, arts administrator, and a real estate executive. He is the founding Chairman of both the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts , and National Endowment for the Arts .Born in Detroit, Michigan, Stevens was educated at The Choate School in...
(1994) and the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize (1996) for her work Nine Armenians, which was produced at Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club is a theater company located in New York City. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has grown since its founding in 1970 from an Off-Off Broadway showcase into one of the country’s most acclaimed...
. She also received a fellowship from the New Jersey Council of the Arts and assistance from the New Harmony Writers Project in developing this play. Her numerous works have been produced on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in major regional theatres. Most recently, the Atlantic Theater Company
Atlantic Theater Company
Atlantic Theater Company is an Off-Broadway non-profit theater, whose mission is to produce great plays "simply and truthfully utilizing an artistic ensemble." The company was founded in 1985 by David Mamet, William H. Macy, and 30 of their acting students from New York University, inspired by the...
produced her play "Make Me" as part of their 2008-2009 Stage 2 season.
In addition to her writing achievements, Ms. Ayvazian is an accomplished actress and teacher. She also has appeared in the films Working Girl
Working Girl
Working Girl is a 1988 romantic comedy film written by Kevin Wade and directed by Mike Nichols. It tells the inspiring story of a Staten Island-raised secretary, Tess McGill , working in the mergers and acquisitions department of a Wall Street investment bank...
, Alice
Alice (1990 film)
Alice is a 1990 film written and directed by Woody Allen and starring Joe Mantegna, Mia Farrow and Alec Baldwin. The film is a loose reworking of Federico Fellini's 1965 film Juliet of the Spirits.-Plot:...
and Regarding Henry
Regarding Henry
Regarding Henry is a 1991 American film drama starring Harrison Ford and Annette Bening, directed by Mike Nichols.The screenplay by J. J. Abrams focuses on a New York City lawyer who struggles to regain his memory and recover his speech and mobility after he survives a shooting.-Plot:Ambitious,...
, and is a recurring guest star in the series of the Law and Order franchise.
Ms. Ayvazian is currently an adjunct professor at the graduate school of Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
Plays
- Deaf Day
- High Dive
- Lovely Day
- Mama Drama
- Nine Armenians
- Plan Day
- Singer's Boy
- Twenty Four Years
- Make Me
- Lost in Yonkers
- A Naked Girl on the Appian Way
- High Dive
Selected filmography
- Working GirlWorking GirlWorking Girl is a 1988 romantic comedy film written by Kevin Wade and directed by Mike Nichols. It tells the inspiring story of a Staten Island-raised secretary, Tess McGill , working in the mergers and acquisitions department of a Wall Street investment bank...
(1988), as Dewey Stone Reception Guest - Me and Him (1988), as Paramedic
- Ask Me Again (1989), as Maxine
- AliceAlice (1990 film)Alice is a 1990 film written and directed by Woody Allen and starring Joe Mantegna, Mia Farrow and Alec Baldwin. The film is a loose reworking of Federico Fellini's 1965 film Juliet of the Spirits.-Plot:...
(1990), uncredited - Regarding HenryRegarding HenryRegarding Henry is a 1991 American film drama starring Harrison Ford and Annette Bening, directed by Mike Nichols.The screenplay by J. J. Abrams focuses on a New York City lawyer who struggles to regain his memory and recover his speech and mobility after he survives a shooting.-Plot:Ambitious,...
(1991), uncredited
TV appearances
- CBS Schoolbreak SpecialAfter school specialThe American Broadcasting Company coined the term after school special in 1972 with a series of made for television movies, usually dealing with controversial or socially relevant issues, that were generally broadcast in the late afternoon and meant to be viewed by school age children, particularly...
- Flour Babies, (1990 episode), as Mrs. Emerson
- American PlayhouseAmerican PlayhouseAmerican Playhouse is an anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service in the United States.It premiered on January 12, 1982 with The Shady Hill Kidnapping, written and narrated by John Cheever and directed by Paul Bogart...
- American Playhouse
- The Sunset Gang (segment The Home, 1991)
Law & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
- Jurisdiction (1993 episode), as Korolek
- House Counsel (1995 episode), as Priscilla Lempert
- Homesick (1996 episode), as Mrs. Karmel
Law & Order: Criminal IntentLaw & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
- GoneGone (Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode)"Gone" is a fourth season episode of the television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Plot summary:In this episode, Detectives Goren and Eames are investigating the murder of a newly engaged woman, who is found slain and tossed in a garbage bin, while in town to visit her fiancée.Goren pushes...
(2005 episode), as Ruth Stockton- Law & Order: Special Victims UnitLaw & Order: Special Victims UnitLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
(five episodes), as Judge Valdera
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
- Limitations (2000)
- Baby Killer (2000)
- Abuse (2001)
- Ridicule (2001)
- Resilience (2002)
- The JuryThe Jury (TV series)The Jury is an American legal drama television series that was broadcast by the Fox Network in 2004. Each week, in the same New York City courtroom, a new 12-person jury deliberates over a criminal case...
- The Jury
- Mail Order Mystery (2004 episode), as Lynette Bradwell