Elise Robertson is a multifaceted storyteller with a wide range of experience in directing and acting across various media platforms. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she graduated from Northwestern University's theatre department, where she majored in directing, acting, and literary adaptation, and minored in fine art. This diverse educational background has allowed her to bring a unique set of skills to her work in different media.
Elise has directed a feature-length dark thriller, Donner Pass, which was released digitally in 2012 and aired on Showtime. Her work has been recognized by the Horror Society, which named her a notable Woman in Horror in 2015.
In addition to her work in film, Elise has also directed extensively in the LA theatre scene. Some of her notable productions include her Garland Award-nominated 2008 revival of The Women and her world premiere comedy Sister Cities, which traveled to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and received multiple 5-star reviews.
Prior to moving to LA, Elise worked extensively in the Bay Area. She directed and executive produced the PBS series American Storytellers, which featured dramatic adaptations of famous American short stories. This project earned her numerous awards, including a Cine-Golden Eagle for Ralph Ellison's King of the Bingo Game. She also helmed the PBS children's series Adventures With Kanga-Roddy, a multi-camera show that featured actors, puppets, and full-sized suited characters. For this project, she won a Northern California Directing Emmy.
Elise began her career in the film industry as a character painter on Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. She then went on to work as a scenic artist on numerous features and served as the Art Department Supervisor on ABC's Bump in the Night. She also ran her own model and character shop, working with clients such as Will Vinton Studios, Sony, and Atari.
As a working actor, Elise has appeared in dozens of TV shows, films, and commercials, including American Sniper, Arrested Development, The Mentalist, Sons of Anarchy, and Six Feet Under.
In recent years, Elise has transitioned into new media, directing a comedy web series for Nick Mom entitled The Wisdom of Children in 2014. She has also created a series of sketch comedy offerings for her YouTube channel MomMayhem, including The Sex Negotiators, The PTA Rap, The Literal Police, and the series Mommy Tell Me A Story, which won Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Actress at LA Webfest 2014.
In addition to her work in the entertainment industry, Elise is also the mother of two amazing girls, Stella and Sadie. She recently wrote her debut novel, The Hatching Stone, a fantasy story for middle-grade readers. This book won the Echo Park Novel Writing Competition in 2014.
