Lena Mascara

Lena Góra (born April 21, 1990 in Gdańsk, Poland), more commonly known as Lena Mascara, is a stage and screen actress and former photo model. Mascara became known for her conceptual art performances around London and Paris and is often labeled an "it girl".

Early life
Lena Gora was born in Gdansk to Sławomir and Ela Góra. Her father is a Polish figurative painter currently based in London. Her mother was a singer in mid-1980s in number of punk-rock bands such as Pancerne Rowery or Apteka (Their LP "Narkotyki" won "Płyta Roku" ("LP of the Year") of Gazeta Wyborcza in 1992.)

Career
While still in primary school, Lena joined Wybrzezak Theatre first located in Gdansk, then Gdynia. During her time in Wybrzezak, Lena starred in many plays including controversial "Moj tygrysek nadal sie boi" (“My tiger is still afraid”), where she played an autistic girl, and "Romeo and Juliet", where she played alongside Szymon Jachimek and Wojciech Tremiszewski, members of the popular "Kabaret Limo". In 2006, she got cast as Leni in The Trial, which was her last effort for the company. Moving to London she then completed a degree in Drama at the City and Islington College and attended a Guildford School of Acting course.

For the last 3 years Góra has been acting and performing in London. In early 2008 she became a member of Theo Adams Company. The Company comprises a collection of dancers, performers and musicians.In April 2009 The Theo Adams Company completed their 'Performance' project, a series of performances in an abandoned Catholic school in northwest London. It was published in a major feature in the May 2009 issue of W Magazine with photography by David Sims. The company was joined by special guests Lorna Luft and Tony award winner Frances Ruffelle to perform for the project. This was Lena’s last performance with the company after which she has left and focused on her solo shows.

She collaborated with Richard Scarry’s daughter and socialite Olympia Scarry producing a show called Kinder Heaven at PLAY gaining great media reviews by Metro and being called: “Not to be missed” by the Evening Standard. Her other solo work include becoming the muse of Caligula ('The London answer to Studio 54' - MTV) and weekly entertainment at the Bathhouse labeled ‘London's hottest new venue' by Vogue.com

In 2007, Lena took the starring role in the Gusano Productions art exploitation horror movie Can you survive? written by Steve Jones and directed by Peter Owden. She played Karina, a psychologically damaged femme fatale. The film was critically acclaimed in the 2010 British International Amateur Film Festival with an overall grading of four out of five stars, with particular commendation to the performance of Lena Mascara. The feature length film produced by the company was described by the judges at the International Amateur Cinema event as an "imaginitive and fresh approach supported by excellent acting and good production values."

In 2009 Mascara got offered a place at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, with alumni such as Danny DeVito, Robert Redford or Katharine Hepburn, but she didn’t attend it. Nevertheless she relocated from London to New York where she currently lives and works.

Gora most recently was to be seen as one of the leads in an off-Broadway play called ‘Tow Town’ directed by Robroy Mounjoy that has opened on August 19, 2010 at the Grand Theater, New York. She portrayed the character of Jill Samson, a lesbian detective with drinking problems.