Meet Alyssa Alyx” Cassese”

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alyssa “Alyx” Cassese and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alyssa “Alyx”, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I grew up in a small hamlet called Franklin Square as a third generation resident from a family who lived and bled Long Island. Despite being walking distance from Queens and quick train ride into the center of Manhattan, Franklin Square radiates suburbia and had always felt quite tiny. I guess I was kind of a Franklin Square nepo baby; the child of a former Homecoming Queen of my high school, the grandchild of the Chief of the Fire Department, and someone whose history was pretty steeped in the fabric of a “census-designated place” that isn’t even on the map unless you zoom in.

If a suburban-minded young couple wanting to start a family asked me if they should move to Franklin Square, I’d say yes in a heartbeat. The schools are great, the parks are cute, and it’s an easy commute from NYC. I, however, was desperate to get out.

I always felt supported, especially by my parents, but I also always felt watched. It’s a town where everyone knows everyone and no business is ever really your own. I was a weird kid, with behavioral issues from then-undiagosed ASD, and the only thing talked about more than my meltdowns was my academic ability. I leaned into this, crafting an identity around academia and being a high-achiever, publishing my first novel at 15 years old and making sure to mask less-desirable personality traits. Luckily, this led me to large college scholarships and the performance-based creative work that makes up my current profession, but it’s fascinating to think about how that upbringing both created my career and hurt my psyche.

I should also mention that Franklin Square (and most of Long Island, for that matter) lean quite right politically, so growing up queer wasn’t always easy in a town where pride events were “protested” by high school peers, bringing Trump flags to wave around in the hallways. However, growing up in that environment heavily impacted the work that I now choose to do and is definitely why I’m so passionate about making queer work and writing/producing/performing in work by other queer and trans creatives.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I published my first queer fantasy novel while I was still in high school, and at that time, I was 100% sure about pursuing life as a full-time author and getting a degree in Creative Writing from somewhere prestigious. However, after actually going through the process, I realized that if I made my art in the quiet, solitary way that I’d been making it, I’d never leave the house. From there, I started exploring what it meant to tell stories collaboratively, getting involved in theatre both at my high school and beyond, and eventually getting my BFA in Musical Theatre in NYC.

I booked my first professional theatre job as a senior in college, the New York Premiere of “Girlfriend,” a joyful and queer 90s jukebox directed by Sivan Battat as part of The Drama League’s DirectorFest Off-Broadway, and was absolutely spoiled by a wonderful creative process with some of the kindest in the business. As grateful as I am for the experience, I also must admit that it set a bar that I naively believed would be matched by my future experiences HAHA.

Since starting my career, I’ve definitely learned that being an actor under the trans umbrella and on the autism spectrum is not for the faint of heart. I’ve had some brutal and hurtful experiences, seeing the worst sides of the industry as well as former friends, but it’s definitely just made me stronger and more motivated in the long run to create opportunities for myself and other actors like me.

As someone with a naturally low-sitting voice, I’m particularly passionate about breaking key inflexibility in the musical theatre industry, both for trans and cis actors whose voices don’t fit the current contemporary MT mold. Last year, I started a fun series on TikTok just for myself, lowering famous songs of the musical theatre canon to fit my voice, and it’s garnered enough support for me to turn it into a real cabaret series at 54 Below, premiering this November. Alongside this, I’ve also moved my sights from theatre gigs to the on-camera space, and have shot six short films and a feature film in the last year.

I most want the world to know that queer, trans, and neurodivergent artists, when not given a platform to share their art, will simply make their own and continue to take up space.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My friends are a bunch of geeks so I personally love taking them to all of my favorite museums – The Cloisters, The Brooklyn Museum, and the Museum of Natural History. I also love to take them around to my favorite spots in all of the places I’ve lived: the Seaport District in FiDi with a stop at Cowgirl Seahorse for the taste of college (margaritas & cheap tacos), the East Village walk from the 4-story Barnes & Noble in Union Square past Venchi gelato for the post college-splurge, the Brooklyn Public Library, and my favorite bars in Astoria. Definitely honorable mentions to my high school haunts in Forest Hills and all of my favorite places for long walks on Randall’s Island. One of my other favorite things to do is take friends to different parks in all of the boroughs to see the most popular dog breeds in each area.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My parents! I think I said it for the first time when I gave a speech at my high school graduation, but I always tell people that I cannot imagine how terrifying it must be to have your child come to you at 18 and say “I’m turning down Ivy League acceptances and any hope of a steady career/income to try and be an actor.” They’ve been supportive since the absolute beginning and have always wanted me to pursue my dreams first and foremost and always been a safety net to fall back on when I have to crash at my childhood home between contracts and sublets, need help filing my taxes, or just offer a shoulder to cry on in a business that can truly be brutal. Both of my parents were dancers at one point in their life (my mom growing up idolizing the Rockettes and my dad a legitimate b-boy at one point), but they knew nothing of the writing, acting, or musical theatre worlds. Despite that, they’ve always been the biggest supporters of all of the work that I do and will always come out to see me perform, whether that’s on a massive stage, in a cabaret bar, or at a reading in someone’s living room.

Website: alyssacassese.com

Instagram: @alyssacassese

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlyssaCassese

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alyssa.cassese 

Image Credits
Michael Hull, Leilani Carr, Nicole Niteka, Stephanie Naru