Rivka Borek grew up as the only American in a British school in Hong Kong. She graduated from American Conservatory Theater’s Master of Fine Arts Acting program.
RECENT: Eight Nights by Jennifer Maisel at Detroit Public Theatre.
News
Rivka Borek
AEA
rivka.borek at gmail dot com
Regional Theatre (selected)
| HAMLET (opposite John Douglas Thompson) | Ophelia | American Conservatory Theater / Carey Perloff |
| INDECENT | Halina | San Francisco Playhouse / Susi Damilano |
| SENSE AND SENSIBILITY | Miss Grey | Actors Theatre of Louisville / Jon Jory |
| OH, GASTRONOMY! (Humana Festival) | Lana | Actors Theatre of Louisville / Amy Attaway |
| OTHELLO (tour) | Desdemona | Hudson Valley Shakespeare / Christopher V. Edwards |
| DON CARLOS (reading, with John Douglas Thompson) | Princess Eboli | American Conservatory Theater / Carey Perloff |
| A CHRISTMAS CAROL | Beth, Mrs. Dilber; Mrs. Crachit (u/s [performed]) | American Conservatory Theater / Domenique Lozano |
| A CHRISTMAS CAROL | Ghost of Christmas Past | Alabama Shakespeare Festival / Geoffrey Sherman |
| TIMON OF ATHENS | Timandra, Philotus; Flavius, Flaminius, Titus, Jeweler (u/s) | Alambama Shakespeare Festival / Geoffrey Sherman |
| TAMING OF THE SHREW | Josephine; Kate (u/s) | Alabama Shakespeare Festival / Diana Van Fossen |
| THE GREAT GATSBY | Jordan (u/s) | Alabama Shakespeare Festival / Geoffrey Sherman |
| ROMEO AND JULIET | Prince | Alabama Shakespeare Festival / Greta Lambert |
| AS YOU LIKE IT | Rosalind | Carolinian Shakespeare Festival / Mary McGinley |
Off-Broadway
| LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST | Maria/Costard | Shake and Bake / Dan Swern |
New York Theatre
| DON’T DO THIS TO US! | Ravit | The Tank / Tasha Gordon-Solomon |
| THE KARPOVSKY VARIATIONS | Julia | Boomerang Theater / Tasha Gordon-Solomon |
| TWINS | A | New Georges / Sarah Krohn |
| ARGUMENT SESSIONS | Justice Scalia | Ars Nova ANT FEST / Ilana Becker |
| UNTITLED (workshop) | Young Woman | Clubbed Thumb / Tasha Gordon-Solomon |
| OCEAN PARKWAY ON ROSH HASHANAH (reading) | Young Woman | Ensemble Studio Theatre / Tasha Gordon-Solomon |
International Theatre
| WHO’S AFRAID OF MONSTERS? | Mika | Edinburgh Fringe Festival / Lindsey McAlister |
Film / TV
| THE REGION OF UNLIKENESS | Lead | FooBi Films / Wendy Cheng |
| MAKE BELIEVE | Lead | NYU MFA / Puk Grasten |
Training
American Conservatory Theater, M.F.A. in Acting
Actors Theatre of Louisville Acting Apprentice
On-Camera Class with Bob Krakower
Bard College at Simon’s Rock, B.A. in Theatre Performance and Playwriting
National Theatre Institute
Moscow Art Theatre Semester
Upright Citizens Brigade
Shakespeare & Company Month-Long Intensive
Special Skills
Instruments: Violin (8 yrs.), piano (3 yrs.), bendy, Hong Kong and U.S. dual citizen.
Dialects: Standard American, New York, Southern, British (RP, Estuary, Cockney), Irish (Southern and Donegal), Russian, Polish, Yiddish. IPA.
Press
Indecent
“Rivka Borek, in a variety of roles, marshals her entire actor’s body into a single focused expression. Even her interstitial dance moves have an extra electrified snap. She seizes every moment onstage as a chance to further develop character.” – San Francisco Chronicle
“Rivka Borek is riveting.” – Mercury News
“[T]he play’s two standouts are certainly Rivka Borek and Malka Wallick as the young lovers. They two portray entertaining ensemble members (Borek as experienced and condescending actresses, Wallick as first-timers trying to figure out how to portray lesbians), but their chemistry as Asch’s lovers is electric.” – 48 Hills
Hamlet
“[T]he most powerful scene and most effective performance in the production comes in the second half, from Rivka Borek as Ophelia. The ACT MFA candidate is riveting as she portrays Ophelia’s descent into madness, moreso than I’ve ever seen in a stage production.” – Gothamist
“Rivka Borek shines as the love-mad Ophelia.” – San Francisco Magazine
“Rivka Borek makes Ophelia’s mad scene a riveting episode.” – San Francisco Examiner
“Ophelia (delicate Rivka Borek) pulls off a tour de force, making us feel more for her than almost anyone on stage—she mistakes her father’s ties for flowers and herbs in her delusion. Light as feather, in pastel lingerie, she evokes an injured bird.” – Theatrius
“Rivka Borek’s Ophelia is a joy to behold. […] Borek displays strength beneath her tenderness – yet is still powerless to alter the course set by the men who rule her.” – Two on the Aisle
“[E]vocatively beautiful and pitiful at the same time is the performance of Rivka Borek. […] The Ophelia created by Ms. Borek is altogether startling, sad, and stunning.” – Theatre Eddys
“Her mad scene is brilliant.” – Talkin’ Broadway
Eight Nights
“[T]he one-two punch of Rivka Borek and Sarah Winkler as the younger and older Rebecca. When Winkler steps into the lead role, Borek then portrays Rebecca’s daughter and, eventually, her granddaughter. It’s quite a turn, with Borek carving out three distinctly different characters and drawing every spectrum of emotion from the audience.” – Detroit Free Press
“Ms. Borek is versatile and stellar playing three generations, each time perfectly wearing the time she is playing on her face and body movements.” – Encore Michigan
Romeo and Juliet
“Rivka Borek is a powerhouse.” – Theatre Montgomery
The Karpovsky Variations
“[The] minimalist production is highlighted by the engaging central performance of Rivka Borek.” – Talkin’ Broadway
