LENA OSSEYRAN

THEATRE DIRECTOR / PERFORMER / ARCHITECT

ABOUT

A RHIZOME IS A CONTINUOUSLY GROWING UNDERGROUND STEM OF A PLANT THAT SENDS OUT ROOTS AND SHOOTS AS IT SPREADS. A RHIZOME IS ALSO A PHILOSOPHICAL CONCEPT IN LEARNING THAT PROMOTES MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES AND MULTIPLICITIES. WHEN IT COMES TO ARTS, LENA LIKES TO DESCRIBE HERSELF AS A RHIZOME.

BIOGRAPHY

LENA OSSEYRAN IS A LEBANESE THEATER DIRECTOR, ACTRESS, AND ARCHITECT LIVING IN FRANCE SINCE 2019. SHE WORKS IN LEBANON (BEIRUT) AND FRANCE (NORMANDY, VILLEURBANNE, PARIS, GRENOBLE). IN HER WORK, SHE EXPLORES HOW PERFORMANCE SPACES (CHOREOGRAPHY AND LANGUAGE) AFFECT THE SPECTATORS BY EMPLOYING DESIGN AND AESTHETICS TO NARRATE ONEIRIC SPACES AND PRODUCE EMOTIONS. SHE AIMS FOR TRANSDISCIPLINARY SPACES THAT ALLOW THE DIALOGUE IN ARTS AND SCIENCES ESPECIALLY IN ARCHITECTURE, THEATER, AND RECENTLY, TECHNOLOGY (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE). SHE DIRECTED SEVERAL PLAYS PURGATORY (2016), HAMLETMACHINE BY HEINER MÜLLER (2018), TWO SUSPENDED WOMEN BY HASAN MAKHZOUM (2019), UNITÉS DE SOUFFLE (2021- IN PROGRESS).

SHE HOLDS A B.A. (2015) AND MRES (2018) IN THEATER STUDIES FROM THE LEBANESE UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE. ALSO, SHE HAS A MASTER’S DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURE FROM THE LEBANESE ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS-ALBA (2016), AND A PRE-DOCTORAL DEGREE IN RESEARCH IN ARCHITECTURE FROM PARIS LA VILLETTE, HESAM UNIVERSITY (2020). DURING HER POSTMASTERS, SHE HAD A SCIENTIFIC STAY AT THE CRESSON LABORATORY CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON SOUND SPACE AND URBAN ENVIRONMENT ATTACHED TO THE AAU LABORATORY. SHE IS AN INVITED VISITING ONLINE LECTURER AT THE LEBANESE UNIVERSITY OF FINE ARTS II AND TEACHES DRAMATURGY AND PLAYWRITING COURSES FOR MASTER AND BACHELOR STUDENTS FROM 2020.

IN 2021 SHE OBTAINED A DOCTORAL SCHOLARSHIP FROM THE RADIAN PROGRAM (RESEARCH IN ART, DESIGN, INNOVATION, ARCHITECTURE IN NORMANDIE: DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH AND ARTISTIC CREATIONS) TO PURSUE A PH.D. IN RESEARCH CREATION IN PERFORMING ARTS STUDIES (2021-2024) WITH A FOCUS ON STAGING (MISE EN SCENE AND REPRESENTATION). THE TOPIC IS ON: THE REPRESENTATION OF EMBODIED SPACES IN THE PRISMS OF DEVASTATED BODIES AND CONTEMPORARY THEATRE.

Portrait by Tony Hokayem

AWARDS &
RECOGNITIONS

WINNER OF THE FIRST PRIZE OF 2016 PROMOTION FOR HER FINAL DIPLOMA AND PLAY PURGATORY

THE ORDER OF ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS PRIZE

BAHAA EDDIN BSAT PRIZE

THE PRIZE OF AMICALE DES ANCIENS À L’ALBA

LABORA PRIZE AULIB THAT HONORED THE BRILLIANT STUDENTS IN THE LEBANESE UNIVERSITY

MENTORSHIP PROGRAM ZOUKAK, SUPPORTED BY DROSOS, THE FRENCH INSTITUT, THE BRITISH COUNCIL AND THE GOETHE INSTITUT GRANT FOR HAMLETMACHINE BY HEINER MÜLLER (2018)

MINISTRY OF CULTURE PRIZE FOR TWO SUSPENDED WOMEN. BEST SCENOGRAPHY, BEST TEXT, BEST MUSIC AWARDS AND HONORARY MENTION FROM THE JURY FOR THE ACTRESSES (2020)

Festivals

SHARJAH THEATER FESTIVAL AND CONVENTION FOR LEADING STUDENTS IN THE ARAB WORLD (2015), AND PARTICIPATED AS A GUEST (2016)

MONASTIR FESTIVAL-TUNISIA (2015)

SIDEWALKS FOCUS LEBANON (2018)

LES JACKS FESTIVAL-LEBANON (2019)

DIRECTOR LAB MEDITERRANEAN (2020)

LIMOGES FRANCE AT LES ZÉBRURES D'AUTOMNE FESTIVAL (2020)