Leila Bela (Persian: ليلى بلا‎) (born in Tehran, Iran) is an
Iranian-born American avant-garde musician, writer, photographer,
actress, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, and recording artist from
Austin, Texas.Bela was born in Tehran, Iran, to a family of Persian
aristocrats. In her teens she began writing freelance articles about
underground music for various local papers. Her first major job was an
interview with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. She had been told by
the paper only cover the show, but when Reznor saw her, he introduced
himself and offered her an interview, allowing her to use his
recording device to record it.She accepted, and he later invited her
to the opening of the very first Lollapalooza as his guest and a
reporter. She started her first magazine in 1998 while attending
college at The University of Houston, where she majored in theatre and
minored in literature, as well as taking independent studies in
photography and playwriting. She was one of five students chosen out
of thousands, all of whom had submitted original plays, to study with
Edward Albee, an award-winning playwright known for his dark
themes.Her Shakespeare audition in her second year at university also
landed her in a class taught by master Shakespearean director Sir
Peter Hall, who chose four people for the semester class in Houston.
She performed such roles as Natalia in Three Sisters in 2001, Lady
Nijo in Top Girls in 2002, Regan in King Lear, Phoebe in As You Like
It, and Antigone in Antigone.
Iranian-born American avant-garde musician, writer, photographer,
actress, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, and recording artist from
Austin, Texas.Bela was born in Tehran, Iran, to a family of Persian
aristocrats. In her teens she began writing freelance articles about
underground music for various local papers. Her first major job was an
interview with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. She had been told by
the paper only cover the show, but when Reznor saw her, he introduced
himself and offered her an interview, allowing her to use his
recording device to record it.She accepted, and he later invited her
to the opening of the very first Lollapalooza as his guest and a
reporter. She started her first magazine in 1998 while attending
college at The University of Houston, where she majored in theatre and
minored in literature, as well as taking independent studies in
photography and playwriting. She was one of five students chosen out
of thousands, all of whom had submitted original plays, to study with
Edward Albee, an award-winning playwright known for his dark
themes.Her Shakespeare audition in her second year at university also
landed her in a class taught by master Shakespearean director Sir
Peter Hall, who chose four people for the semester class in Houston.
She performed such roles as Natalia in Three Sisters in 2001, Lady
Nijo in Top Girls in 2002, Regan in King Lear, Phoebe in As You Like
It, and Antigone in Antigone.
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