Drama, Stagecraft, Film

Denise Elia-Yen is an award-winning actress and director with 30+ years of experience including performances on stage and screen, print, voiceover, on both coasts, and in international theatre festivals representing the United States.

Originally from Long Island, New York, she received back-to-back Excellence in Theatre Principal Actress in a Musical awards from the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle for her portrayals of Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun and Elizabeth Benning in Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein: the Musical, among several nominations over the years. Her productions have also received SFBATCC, Marquee Theatre, and Theatre Bay Area awards and nominations for their set, lighting, and sound designs. Mrs. Elia-Yen most recently directed and starred in Left Edge Theatre Company's grand re-opening production of Slow Food, the first in-person production in the North Bay Area post lockdown.

Her first teaching gig was a weekend workshop for Cornell University's Four-H program. For nearly a decade since, she taught privately, and built drama programs at schools and drama camps in Sonoma and Marin counties.

Mrs. Elia-Yen is delighted to be an MCHS puma since 2017! She continues to work as a local actor and director as time allows to keep her skills sharp and current. She holds a B.F.A. in Theater Performance and B.A. in Italian from the Center for the Arts, S.U.N.Y. at Buffalo, New York. When not in the classroom or on stage, you'll find her at the coast or on her standup paddleboard. She has two grown stepsons and lives with her loving husband and two cats.

Click here to email Mrs. Elia-Yen about the program!

We gratefully accept new or gently used:

POWER TOOLS

HAND TOOLS

HARDWARE

SHELVING & STORAGE ITEMS

PAINT

PROPS

FURNITURE

COSTUMES: dresses, military or work uniforms, hats, shoes/boots, costume jewelry and accessories

Email program director Denise Elia-Yen to arrange delivery:

deliayen@srcs.k12.ca.us