MEET LEE DELONG

Lee Delong is an American/French actress, director, clown teacher and writer.

After practicing theatre all through her youth, Lee attended West Virginia University School of Theatre for four years, followed by two years at Jacques Lecoq’s International Theatre School in Paris, plus the Movement Laboratory (LEM) with Lecoq. She also attended Meetings at Bouffes du Nord with Peter Brook and Jean-Claude Carrière, and continued in-depth clown research with the late Alain Gautré.

On stage, Lee played Le Banquet over two years, notably at the prestigious Théâtre de Paris and the Théâtre du Rond-Point. Le Banquet is written and directed by Mathilda May and was awarded two Molières in 2019, for directing and for female revelation, and was nominated for best performance. The show is an ensemble of ten actors, and is an ingenious blend of dance, movement, and clown character to the music of Dolly Parton.

On screen, Lee was recently seen in Savage State (l’Etat Sauvage) by David Perrault, where she delighted in singing Les Plaisirs d’Amour. She plays a principal role in Nina Violic’s, Kick and Scream, which just premiered in Croatia and won the Mediterranean Film Award. Notable also was her portrayal of Miranda Jones in the successful television series Call My Agent (Dix Pour Cent, French version) by Cedric Klapisch, and Mrs. Kerman in Luc Besson’s Arthur and the Minimoys. Lee has just participated in Gutsy, produced by Hillary Clinton. Mrs. Clinton and her daughter Chelsea took a class with Lee.

Lee also voices animation films and series: the character of Zero in INK, the Invisible Network of Kids; Sheriff Pearl in Paprika; and many voices in Toomas Beneath the Valley of the Wild Wolves.

Lee has worked extensively with the company Triko Cirkus Teatar, Zagreb, for more than a decade. With Triko, she has written and directed seven clown performances. She has given countless workshops and master classes for Triko, not only in clown, but also in buffoon and object manipulation. With her creation of the performance, Nightingale, Triko Cirkus Teatar won the Best Independent Theatre Company of Croatia (2012). A coproduction between Triko and Kazaliste Grupa (2019) gave birth to Mistero Buffo by Dario Fo, directed by Lee. It has been delighting audiences for almost three years and has won numerous awards.

For Edinburgh Festival 2019 and the Brighton Fringe Festival 2022, Lee directed Absolutely Reliable! Cowritten with Ralf Wetzel as his one-man show, this performance is based on their extensive work in clown and is played with a half mask and was featured in the Financial Times. Lee also gives workshops and master classes organized by Ralf in Brussels on a regular basis. Recently she premiered The Heist with Ralf at the Zagreb Clown Festival 2022. The Heist was one out of four shows in her three-day clown & mask festival "Uncommon Comedy" at the 2023 Brighton Fringe Festival, which Ralf produced.

Lee has given clown workshops and master classes from Peru to Qatar to war time Sarajevo since 1994. She has given innumerable workshops for professional actors, for acting students, for writing students, animation students, theatre companies, and doctor clowns. Lee was acting coach on Jasmila Zbanic’s movie, On the Path and was Assistant Director/Choreographer/Lyricist on Jasmila’s film, Love Island. She also played the role of Cruella.

Some of the institutions for whom Lee has taught are: Doha Film Institute; the Croatian National Theatre (HNK); l’École de l’Image, les Gobelins, Paris; the University of Viborg Animation School, Denmark; the National Academy of Theatre, Rijeka, Croatia; the National Academy of Dramatic Arts, Sarajevo….

CURRICULUM VITAE

Lee Delong

Cindy Brace Agency

phone: +33/2 32 67 19 81

email: cindy@cindybrace.com

Height: 5ft.4in. (1’62”), Hair: brown, Eyes: hazel

Sports: Western riding, Basketball, Volleyball, Baseball, Sailing, Badminton, weapons handling

Skills: Juggling, creative movement

Arts: stage, film, Commedia dell'arte

Voice: Alto
Spoken languages: French, English, Serbo-Croatian
Nationality : American, French

TRAINING

JACQUES LECOQ International School of Theatre Creation (2 years) + Movement Laboratory (LEM).
PETER BROOK - Meetings at Bouffes du Nord.
ALAIN GAUTRE - Clown + Writing for Clown.
CARLO BOSSO - Commedia dell'arte.
DONALD BIEHN - Sanford Meisner technic.
CLYDE VINSON - acting and voice.
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY Theatre Department.

CINEMA

KICK AND SCREAM (Baci se na Pod) by Nina Violic. Leading Role (Best Film, Mediterranean Film Festival)
FAMILY DUST by Nina Violic. Leading Role.
L’ETAT SAUVAGE by David Perrault.
VALERIAN by Luc Besson.
THE MANHATTEN FRONT by Cathy Lee Crane.
KICKBACK by Franck Phelizon. Lead Role.
LOVE ISLAND (OTOK LJUBAVI) by Jasmila Zbanic (Assistant and role.)
BANDE A PICASSO by Fernando Colomo.
SKYLAB by Julie Delpy.
ON THE PATH (NA PUTU) by Jasmila Zbanic. (Coach and casting.)
ARTHUR ET LA VENGEANCE DE MALTAZARD by Luc Besson.
CRUSHED by James Cahill.
ARTHUR & LES MINIMOYS by Luc Besson.
LE MAUVAISE PASSE by Michel Blanc.
MA FEMME EST UNE ACTICE by Yvan Attal.
LA VEUVE DE ST. PIERRE by Patrice Leconte.
LE DOUBLE DE MA MOITIE by Yves Amoureux.
RONIN by John Frankenheimer.
L'HOMME EST UNE FEMME COMME LES AUTRES by Jean-Jacques Zilberman.
LE BOSSU by Philippe de Broca.
QUE LA LUMIERE SOIT by Arthur Joffe.
JEFFERSON A PARIS by James Ivory.

TELEVISION

10 POURCENT by Cédric Klapisch. episode 1 season 1.
JO by Charlotte Sieling. episode 1 NOTRE DAME.
CIGARETTES ET BAS NYLONS film by Fabrice Cazeneuve.
BELLEVILLE TOUR film by Zakia and Ahmed Bouchaala.
SAMANTHA OUPS by Xavier Pujade-Lauraine and Gérard Pautonnier. Recurring role.
CHELSEA HANDLER SHOW by K. Brauneison & M. Marconi.
MADAME EST DANS ESCALIER film by Luc Berraud.
TENERIFE "LE CRASH DU SIECLE docu fiction by Chantale Hébert. Fr3.
CE QUE DIT LA BOUCHE D'OMBRE docu fiction by Jean-François Jung. M6TV.et ARTE.
HIGHLANDER V M6.

SHORT FILMS

LE GRILLE PAIN DE MADAME GRENIER by Jethro Massey.
ROUND HER PURE FOREHEAD by Shreya Dube.
ADRIFT by Cathy Lee Crane.
REVOLUTIONS by Xavier Dugast.
TAXI by Cathy Lee Crane.
SENSELESS by Narouna Kaplan de Macedo. episode ZOE.
FINAL CUT by Franck Phelizon.
THE GIRL FROM MARSEILLE by Cathy Lee Crane.
HONEY DON'T by Bob Meyer.
NOT ALL BIRDS DON'T FLY by Bob Meyer.

VOICE WORK Dubbing, documentaries, voice over, animation films.

THEATRE

LE BANQUET created and directed by Mathilda May. La Dame. Théâtre du Rond Point, Théâtre du Paris and on tour. Nominated for 3 Molières 2019, Won Molière for directing and Molière for female revelation.
MY FAIR LADY directed by Robert Carsen. Role: Mrs Pearse. Théâtre du Châtelet.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC directed by Emilio Sagi. Role: Fraü Schmidt. Théâtre du Châtelet.
ROSIE FOREVER played, created and directed by Lee Delong. Musical theatre.
L'ENFANT FROID directed by Mikaël Serre. La Rose des Vents, Lille. La Ferme de Buisson, Noisiel. Théâtre de la Bastille, Paris.
A NERVOUS SMILE directed by Lynn Ann Bernatowicz. ICT Long Beach Performing Arts.
MY ANTONIA directed by Scott Schwartz. Rubican Theater, Ventura, California.
WORSTWARD HO by Samuel Beckett, directed by Judy Hegarty-Lovett. Monologue. Cork Festival 2005 and tour.
UNE FEMME SEULE / A WOMAN ALONE by Dario Fo and Franca Rame, directed by Bob Meyer. Théâtre du Chaudron, La Cartoucherie and tour. 2007 Best Actress + Public Choice Awards at Mess International Festival, Sarajevo. 2009 Mravac Award for Mastery in Acting, Mostar, BiH.
VISAGE DE FEU directed by Mikaël Serre. Théâtre Le Colombier.
BUBBLE BEE BZZ (dance theatre) directed by Dorianne Moretus.
MARIE AND BRUCE by Wallace Shawn, directed by Bob Meyer. Irish tour.
BUTTERFLY BLUES (dance theatre) directed by Dorianne Moretus. Théâtre du Chaudron, la Cartoucherie and on tour.
THREE-LEGGED FOOL by Anthony Ryan, directed by Bob Meyer. Andrews Lane Theatre, Dublin Festival.
BECKETT "COMEDY and THE MOUTH etc.", directed by Dana Westburg. Théâtre Petit Hébertot.
MACBLETTES by Ales Kurt and Lee DeLong. Directed by Lee DeLong. Role: Hecate. Kamerni Theatre 55, Sarajevo and 7 Stages Theatre, Atlanta.
BRECHT! directed by Jodi Forest. Several roles. Théâtre de Nesle.
VUE DU PONT by Arthur Miller directed by Andrew Wilson. Role: Beatrice. Théâtre de la Main d'Or and on tour.
FRIEDA'S FLIGHT Creation, played and directed by Lee Delong. Théâtre de la Main d'Or and on tour.
OF MICE AND MEN by John Steinbeck, directed by Sanda Hrzic. Role: Candy. Théâtre de la Main d'Or and on tour.
NE ! Collective Creation on the music of Darko Rundek, starring Rundek, directed by Sanda Hrzic. Role: Prostitute. Mostar Festival.
THE SNOW QUEEN inspired by Hans-Christian Andersen, directed by Sanda Hrzic. Role: Narrator. Théâtre Montorgueil and on tour.

DIRECTING (complete list upon request)

ABSOLUTELY RELIABLE by Lee Delong and Ralf Wetzel with Ralf Wetzel. Edinburgh International Festival 2019
MISTERO BUFFO by Dario Fo with Drazen Sivak. Directed by Lee Delong. Zagreb Dance Center (ZPC Zagreb) and on tour. Best Actor Award Rumi, Serbia 2019.
NIGHTINGALE created and directed by Lee Delong. Travno Cultural Center (KUC Travno) and on tour.

MISCELLANEOUS

Lee also writes, directs and teaches, and has given countless workshops and master classes for acting, directing, and writing students; for animation students; and for professional actors, in various settings: Doha Film Institute; the Croatian National Theatre; les Gobelins, Ecole de l’Image, Paris; the University of Viborg Animation School...to name a few. Lee was acting coach on Jasmila Zbanic’s movie, On the Path, and was Assistant Director/Choreographer/Creator of background scenes/Lyricist on Jasmila’s film, Love Island. She also played the role of Cruella.