Ivory Aquino's performance as Cecilia Chung on "When We Rise" marks her television debut. In New York, she has starred as Juliet and Isabella in Bryant Park Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" and "Measure for Measure," respectively. With the Drilling CompaNY, she has performed in "Othello" as Desdemona, "Julius Caesar" as Marc Antony, "Henry V" as Katherine, and in the world premieres of "Over the Line" and "On the Possibilities of Endings." With Leviathan Lab's Quartet Project, she played Rosalind in "As You Like It"; and as a company member of the Bats at the Flea Theater, she appeared in "Offending the Audience" and "Waiter, Waiter." Other Off-Broadway credits include "365 Days/365 Plays" with Ma-Yi Theatre Company at the Public Theater and "Ms. Oriental" at Lincoln Center.
Noting her versatility in Julius Caesar and Othello, respectively, "The New York Times" called her portrayal of Marc Antony "so moving" and proclaimed, "Ivory Aquino's Desdemona exudes affection"; while NYtheatre.com noted that in Julius Caesar, "she balances the irony, genuine feeling, and cold political maneuvering perfectly." A feature in Backstage Magazine describes Ivory further: "…awed by her physical and vocal presence…She had no limitations. She was a powerhouse," and of her performances in Bryant Park: "Ivory Aquino captures your heart."
In addition to acting, Ivory is a singer, having graduated summa cum laude from Berklee College of Music. She is an animal lover and lucky companion to her pup Chewy-Bear. "My deepest thanks to Lance and the entire ‘When We Rise' tribe. All my love to my dearest friends and family and for anyone out there who feels different but is truly special."
