We had the good fortune of connecting with Ellen Ancui and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ellen, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
There was never a question about pursuing an artistic career because from a very young age I considered myself a ccreative person. My parents were avid theater goers and took me and my two sisters from the time we could sit still in the audience – which for me was 4 yrs old. My dad was a jazz musician and my mom was a museum curator for the public schools, so we were exposed to music and art daily. Plus, they encouraged us to sing around the piano nightly, mostly Broadway tunes but also lots of folk music. When I was in third grade, my parents even sent me to a special camp where I minored in modern dance and majored in abstract art – even back then I knew I was “artsy.” Performing became my expression of choice when I discovered the accolades, which first happened when I sang “My Way” in front of my relatives at a holiday party. As an adult, after I adopted my daughter and became a mom, the question about an artistic career changed and became, “How can I sustain a creative career?”

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve had a very zig-zaggy creative career and that’s something I hope young artists can take away from this article. Careers, especially in the arts, are not a straight line up. Nor are they linear or logical. But they do add up. Because the life experience is crucial to being an artist who has a voice and a viewpoint. It takes living life and experiencing ups and downs to authentically reflect our shared histories. I got to where I am today professionally mostly by following my gut and saying “yes” to a lot of weird or unexpected opportunities. It’s definitely not been easy but if it were, I don’t think it would have the same gravitas or importance as it does for me. I’m genuinely grateful for the wonky path I’ve taken.

As far as my art is concerned – I guess what sets me apart from others is that it tends to be pretty raw and out there, or so I’m told. Not all of my work, but the majority of it pushes the edges. I’ve been known to parade around naked in my one-woman shows at The Public Fringe in NY – oh, my parents loved that one! My main “brand” I guess, or my special sauce is a blend of Catskills schtick mixed with edgy feminism all wrapped up in a relatable package. I love to feature headstrong women who bury themselves and have to dig their way back out. I’m also committed to championing other artists – it’s a core value because we all need to be uplifted. To that end, I spearhead a women’s writers’ group, regularly host gatherings at my house for actors and writers, and try to get other writers’ scripts optioned.

What I’m most excited about right now is my short film, SAVERIO, which I just finished shooting. It was my directorial film debut and a difficut but rewarding endeavor. I assembled a great team and everyone put their best forward so I think we have a special piece that we can all be proud of. It’s just getting submitted to film festivals and will make the circuit in 2025 so fingers crossed! My next venture is in podcasting. Working on something we’re calling FILTHY MILFS so keep an ear out for that one in 2025 as well.

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.
I LOVE LA! I truly shout about this city to everyone I know – and I’m a native New Yorker! I’m awed by the mountains and houses built into the hills – the variety of architecture is so creative and inpsiring. We truly have the best and most diverse restaurants in the country – the expanse of ethnic foods and the way chefs mash them up brings out an entirely new and unexpected experience. And how ’bout the produce? You can go to a farmer’s market any day of any week all over this sprawling city. I still can’t believe LA has more theaters than NYC. So when people come to visit I insist on a big mix tape of experiences. For hiking, there’s the Hollywood sign of course, Elysian Park is great for views of Downtown and is less populated than trendy Runyon Canyon. Eaton Canyon’s hike to the water fall is worth the trek and Griffith Park is just so fun. As a former chef and current foodsteader (in NYC I cooked for Oscar winner, Horton Foote and the ex-presdent’s personal florist – don’t ask…) I have a huge list of restaurants that I like to take people to. LA has some of the best sushi in the world outside of Japan. On the lower price scale my go-to’s are Sushi Karen and Nakata. On the higher end I go for Sushi Kisen or Osawa. We also have amazing Chinese, Korean, Malaysian, Vietnamese and Thai cuisines. There are so many to choose from but I love Sichuan Impression best for a mouth-numbing experience. Downtown Arts District has a glut of hot chefs cooking these days – from upscale Mexican at Damian to group-friendly rooftop Mexican at La Cha Cha Cha, to upscale Israeli food at Bavel, creative Indian fare at Baadmash, Korean fusion at Yangban… And don’t get me started on the Mediterranean food – specifically the Armenian cuisine. It’s insane! For culture, the Huntington Gardens and Museum are a stunning and meditative sanctuary of plants plus art, and the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena is the perfect mix of old and new from one of America’s premier collectors. The State Theater of California is the Tony-award winning Pasadena Playhouse, and their new artistic director, Danny Feldman, has been killing it! Another new artistic director, Snehal Desai, just entered the theater scene and took over the Mark Taper Forum, which had been closed for the first time in history. I just know Snehal is gonna slay it – he had amazing success with the East West Players. While you’re in DTLA, get a rooftop cocktail at the Perch for the best downtown views. But I do love me some dive bars with live music and there are so many in this town. My new fave is The Roar Room in La Crescenta – such a cool vibe with legit live music. In recent years, a few comedy clubs have popped up. There’s The Elysian in Echo Park, but my venue of choice is Dynasty Typewriter. I love the space – the historic Hayworth Theater built in 1927. Jenji Kohan (“Orange is the New Black” and “Weeds” creator) bought the building in 2013, but it’s co-producers Vanessa Ragland and Jamie Flam, who curate the cutting edge talent. Plus, you never know – you could be poised to see one show, and then… suprise! Adam Sandler shows up to test out some new materail or another stanza of his Hannukah song… how could you not love La La Land?!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My parents, who are both now in heaven, deserve a lot of credit for their support around my creative pursuits. They helped me out in the early days when I was a “starving artist” and living in NYC, and they were encouraging around my work and provided me with a lot of material. They both had big personalities and ended up being the star characters in my one woman shows for about ten years – haha! Thankfully, they were good sports about it, although my mom declared one day, “Your father and I have written a play. It’s called REBUTTAL, and you’re directing it!”

I also need to give credit to my MFA program at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. William Esper was the head of the graduate school at the time – he’s legendary in the world of acting teachers – and he pushed me to do the program. I almost didn’t go because I was into writing, directing and choreographing performance art pieces, but he framed it in a way that changed my mind. He said, “Picasso didn’t start with abstract paintings. He learned to paint portraits in oil, portraits that looked like photos. So learn the craft of acting as your portrait work and then you’ll have a groundwork and can go off and do whatever avant-garde art you want.” That spoke to me – and honestly, so did the scholarship he offered. And it turned out to be the most consequential three years of my life. I took to the training like a duck to water and it’s principals have been the core foundation for all my creative work.

Lastly, I need to give a shout out to my life partner, Jon Lam. When I was enmeshed in a legal career to support my kid, I was miserable because my artistic soul was suffering. Jon gave me the encouragement to take a risk and pusue my purpose and now, five years later, here I am!

Website: https://ellenancui.blogspot.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellenancui/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-ancui-31391278/

Twitter: https://x.com/ellenancui

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zelrebels

Image Credits
Photos by Jon Lam

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