Leslie is an actress and writer. You’ve seen her perform onstage in New York at St. Ann’s Warehouse, with Clubbed Thumb, Target Margin, Columbia University, among many others. She has an MFA in Playwriting from Brooklyn College, and a BA in acting and directing from Fordham University. She writes plays, screenplays, and you’ve seen her prose in the New York Times. She often writes about climate hope, climate grief, mortality, and sexuality.
News
July 2025
Filmed an episode of “The Ick” by Alex Berry, Ari Cagan & John Hammond. Many thanks to my scene partner, Samaera!
Buena Vista is a Quarterfinalist in the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards 2025 making it in the top 16% of all projects on Coverfly…(RIP Coverfly!)
Had a great headshot session with Yellowbelly. New headshots can be seen here.
June 2025
Grand Island is a Quarterfinalist in the Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards Season 10, making it in the top 8% of all projects on Coverfly.
May 2025
Buena Vista is in the top 17% of Coverfly projects, thanks to a favorable review from the Shore Scripts Short Film Fund.
I’ll be giving virtual playwriting workshops this summer and fall with the Hudson Valley Writer’s Center. Sign up here!
February 2025
Cul-de-Sac is a semifinalist for Rattlestick’s Terrence McNally New Works Festival. Thank you, Rattlestick!
Buena Vista, is one of eight short film script semifinalists in the Cascadia Women’s International Film Festival.
My first feature, Grand Island, is a quarterfinalist in the WeScreenplay Feature Lab.
Began weekly classes with fellow Fordham alum Pat Dooley and Tina Benko, all about finding the joy in self-tapes and scene work. Thank you On Cam Jam!
October 2024
Thank you, Austin Film Festival, for the invite, for choosing Cul-de-Sac as a second-rounder in the playwriting category, for the events, the talks, new friends, and inspiration. Some highlights: Meg LeFauve’s talk–I’m now a Screenwriting Life convert and member; Lauren Schuler-Donner’s talk on the producing perspective, and Robin Swicord’s talk. Also so great to see a big playwright-screenwriter presence. I felt right at home.
September 2024
Greetings! From the Mojave, a one-act inspired by William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell performed at BAM as part of Brooklyn College’s Weasel Festival, directed by Marissa Joyce Stamps.
August 2024
Cul-de-Sac is a second-rounder at Austin Film Festival.
June 2024
Graduated from Brooklyn College’s MFA Playwriting program. Some highlights include: Rona Jaffe Fellowship for Creative Writing, Hawthornden Foundation Writing Award, Kitsch Foundation Writing award.
May 2024
Elsewhere had a reading at Playwrights Horizons (Thank you, PH!) Thank you to Molly Shayna Cohen who directed, Mikey Rosenbaum who collaborated on music, Tatiana Wechsler acted in it as well. Sharing this piece with industry, peers, friends and family was one of my all-time favorite days in NYC ever.
February 2024
Elsewhere is a semifinalist for Rattlestick’s Terrence McNally New Works Incubator.
January 2024
I received the Himan Brown Award for Creative Writing at Brooklyn College for my full-length play, Elsewhere.