Elan Zafir

Elan Zafir is a Canadian actor based in New York City. He originated the role of Abaddon, in Olivier-nominated writer/director Yael Farber's critically acclaimed adaptation of SALOME at Shakespeare Theatre Company, which garnered 7 Helen Hayes Awards including Best Ensemble. He played in Theresa Rebeck's comedy WAY OF THE WORLD opposite Kristine Nielsen. Elan was cast by Mark Brokaw to play Nazari in the new play PAPER DOLLS which was developed through the Sundance Play Festival and the Public Theater. Elan was cast by Mark Wing-Davey to play Hamzi in Mona Mansour's THE VAGRANT TRILOGY which was developed through the Public Theater, and is a part of their 2019-2020 season. He will be a part of the official opening season of Simon Goodwin's first year as Artistic Director of The Shakespeare Theatre Company in the award winning play EVERYBODY by Brandon Jacob Jenkins. Elan was nominated for a James MacArthur Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play for his work in Twelve Angry Men at Ford's Theatre, directed by Sheldon Epps. Elan was recently cast in the World Premiere of Ms. Rebeck's new play Enlightened, which will open Arena's 2020 season. Mrs. Rebeck will also direct. He recently shot a Krav-Maga western, Your Own; and is in production on an 8 episode Shakespeare mashup with Bedlam, a small, critically acclaimed Off Broadway theatre company. He graduated The Dome Professional Theatre Program of Montreal, and attended The Academy for Classical Acting University, under the tutelage of Michael Kahn, where he earned his MFA. He wrote and performed in his one man show, The Unaccompanied Minor, which had its world premiere at the Asheville Fringe Festival, went on to perform at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and finally completed it's journey at the DC Fringe where Roger Catlin of The Washington Post called his play "A top pick of the fringe."