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I Was Brownsville Bred But I Will Not Be Defined
I am Brownsville bred, but I will not be defined. I won’t allow people to define me; I define myself. My actions define me.
About Elaine
- Born and raised in Brownsville, NY, known as one of Brooklyn’s most dangerous neighborhoods.
- When she was 11, she found out her father was a heroin addict and he was subsequently kicked out of the house—her mother was left to raise four children all by herself while living off of welfare.
- Experienced violence and abuse growing up—says this tough upbringing in Brownsville is a point of pride now: “We are known as the biggest, the baddest, and toughest; that’s how I feel.”
- Caught the acting bug after being cast as Sandy in a high school production of “Grease.”
- When she was older, she started passing out postcards saying that she could speak Spanish and act—started getting calls from agencies all over New York and booking commercial gigs.
- But her commercial background started to negatively affect her ability to book the “legit” acting jobs she wanted, so she began studying acting with Wynn Handman, a legend in the theater world.
- Her autobiographical one-woman play, “Brownsville Bred,” has sold out shows, won multiple festival prizes, and had a very successful run at the prestigious off-Broadway 59E59 Theaters.
- She is now an award-winning producer, actress, casting director, writer, and director with the mission of increasing diversity in the entertainment industry.