About
Adrienne Nelson
AEA/SAG-AFTRA
Adrienne Co- Starred on “House of Cards” (Chapter 29) as part of the Russian delegation and coached Lars Mikkelsen/PETROV (Russian dialect) during Seasons 3, 4, 5 and 6, coached the accent adjustments for Alexander Sokovikov/MORYAKOV for 5 episodes in Season 3 and helped coach the Russian for Patricia Clarkson in S6. She’s also coached Russian dialects for Jewish Plays Project in NYC, Theater J, Adventure Theatre, University of Maryland’s Graduate Opera Program, The Actors Salon and many wonderful individual actors. She played GRIGOR ANDOLOV’S (John Malkovich’s) Russian Ex- Wife on “Billions” on Showtime in S3 and S4.
On stage Adrienne has performed with Arena Stage in All the Way (Lurleen Wallace, Muriel Humphrey, LBJ’s secretary and others) directed by Kyle Donnelly. She played Helen in Marja- Lewis Ryan’s play One in the Chamber, directed by Michael Piazza, and Helena in Occupied Territories (Theater Alliance and Martha’s Vineyard productions), directed by Mollye Maxner for which she received a Helen Hayes nomination for her work with her cast for Outstanding Ensemble.
Adrienne has also has performed with Rorschach Theatre, Forum Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Folger Theatre, SCENA Theater, Source Theater, and Washington Shakespeare Company in Richard III, Richard II, Equus, Kafka’s Dick, and Jumpers. Some of her favorite projects include playing Emma in the DC premiere of The God of Hell, Mephistopheles in Faustus (Best of Fringe Award, 2007), helping to devise and perform Swampoodle in Ireland and DC for Dublin’s Performance Corporation directed by Jo Mangan, playing Betsy in Jacqueline E. Lawton’s play Anna K, directed by Shirley Serotsky, and playing Carla Carla in Swimming in the Shallows with Catalyst Theater. With Catalyst, she received a Helen Hayes nomination for Outstanding
Choreography with her cast and director Kathleen Akerley for their work in shkspr prjct, a Grotowski-fueled deconstruction of Macbeth.
Adrienne was a Theatre Major/Russian Minor at Macalester College and is honored to have taught and helped to create programming for Capitol Hill Day School, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Smithsonian Associates, Young Playwrights’ Theater, Helen Hayes Awards Legacy Project, Encore Stage and Studio, Educational Theatre Company, NCDA, Washington National Opera, The Actor’s Center and Arena Stage among others.
She has co - produced and performed in a benefit reading of Eve Ensler’s Necessary Targets for forum theatre, associate produced the Unity Ball with Edward Daniels after the Women’s March, and co produced the critically acclaimed production of Marja-Lewis Ryan’s One in the Chamber at Flashpoint. Adrienne also helped produce and appear on a segment on “Aret der gik” in Denmark which featured Lars Mikkelsen and the Russian song she coached him to sing on Netflix’s “House of Cards.”
She recently performed with Jewish Plays Project, this time as IRINA in “Strawberries at the Datcha” directed by Illana Stein for the inaugural JPP Podcast Series and performed (and assisted with Russian and Ukrainian dialects) in a Theater J/Mosaic Theater co-pro benefit for Ukraine at Theater J directed by Psalmayene 24.
Before the pandemic Adrienne played BELLA in “Cousin Bella Whore of Minsk” (adapted by Carolyn Griffith and Nick Olcott from Sherman Yellen’s memoir) at the Kennedy Center’s Page to Stage Festival with the divine Rick Foucheux.
And look for her as VERA MILLS in Season 2 of Amazon Prime’s “THESPIAN” available now. In November and January she played JULIA ROSE in the three development workshop readings of “Out of the Vineyard” by Psalmayene 24 and directed by Tony Thomas II and just finished performing in the full production! Stay tuned for news about future productions and a possible tour. Also, Adrienne played MIRIAM in Beth Kander’s “RETURN” and LIZ in “Zionista Rising” by Alexa Derman in readings in May for Jewish Plays Project directed by Illana Stein. She also coached the Russian dialects for Anna Ziegler’s “The Last Match” at 1st Stage directed by Alex Levy and most recently the Russian and Russian dialects for Jonathan Spector's "This Much I Know" at Theater J directed by Hayley Finn.
Feel free to go to www.adrienne-nelson.com to keep in touch about future performances and news!
