Alissa Dean is an NYU graduate with a Bachelor of Music and Performing Arts. As a child, she caught the acting bug early and went on to work in commercials, voiceover and regional theatre. Alissa says she truly found her voice as an actor through her studies with acting luminary Fred Karemen in NYC.When she began getting flown to L.A. to test for TV shows, Alissa felt it was time to make the leap to the west coast. Since moving to Los Angeles, she has been fortunate enough to work with some of her favorite directors and actors through the years and enjoys balancing her acting with her other passion, screenwriting.As a writer, Alissa is an Academy Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting semi-finalist for her first screenplay, the indie comedy "Cricket", which placed in the top 1 % of all entries.Alissa's play "Survivors" will have its Los Angeles premiere in January 2014.