Aysan Celik

Associate Arts Professor of Theater Affiliation: NYU Abu Dhabi
Education: BA, University of California, Los Angeles; Professional Certificate, American Repertory Theater Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University

Research Areas: Shakespeare, devised work, documentary theater, comedy, classical texts, dance-theater, cross-gender work, cabaret


Aysan Celik is a performer and theater maker. Classically trained and experimental in focus, her fifteen-year acting career traverses Shakespeare, devised work, documentary theater, comedy, classical texts, dance-theater, cross-gender work, cabaret, and new plays.

Celik has originated roles in world premieres and inhabited classic parts Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway, and on tour in the US and UK. She is a founding Associate Artist of the Alpert award-winning ensemble Theater Mitu, with whom she has created and performed in original pieces and reinterpreted classics stemming from research in global performance and ritual traditions.

Celik is an Associate Artist of the Obie award-winning investigative theater troupe The Civilians. Her most recent performance credits include the world premiere of Paris Commune at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Next Wave Festival, the world premiere of Bob: A Life in Five Acts at the Humana Festival of New American Plays, and the upcoming Off-Broadway world premiere of Juarez: A Documentary Mythology.

Courses Taught