I am an Associate Professor of Theatre at the University of New Mexico, where I specialize in acting, voice, and movement techniques. Previously, I was the Program Director of Theatre at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA.
A graduate of Oberlin College (B.A. 1990), and the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program (MFA, 2000), I bring over 25 years of experience to coaching actors, creating dynamic theatre classes (both privately and at the college level), and to cultivating holistic practices for actors and singers through movement and voice work.
I am the creator of Vibrant Channel Breathwork™, a somatic/creative acting practice for embodied performance. My teaching pedagogy includes: Fitzmaurice Voicework (certified Associate Teacher), Lucid Body work (certification in progress), Viewpoints, Suzuki (P3, SITI), Laban, Alexander Technique, Skinner Releasing, Stella Adler, and Meisner Studio Work, Knight-Thompson Speech training, Shakespeare, musical theater, singing, and low-flying trapeze.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
After over thirty years of working in the world of live theatre as a performer, I have a deep curiosity about the elements that early career actors need the most in their training. It is important to me to keep finding ways to make my classes useful, rigorous and enjoyable. I see my job as meeting each student where he or she is, and offering techniques to help them get out of their own way, tools to shape their work, and platforms in which to practice their skills in the studio and on stage.
Because students come in already with their own wisdom about acting, and likewise with their own talent, intelligence and empathy, I trust them to understand a great deal at the outset. The actor’s worst enemy is usually his/her critical inner voice (Stanislavsky called it “The Little Murderer”). When one is listening to that voice, the whole body freezes, the breathing gets shallow, and nothing authentic can happen on stage. As an actor I have a lot of compassion for this. As a result of my own experiences, I do not ever focus on “fixing” anyone, or on people’s acting “problems”. Instead, I use my training to help students release their energy where I can see it is tight or held, using techniques and modalities that encourage releasing in the body and the voice.
I strive to bring my own professional development work into the classroom with me every day, and lead with trauma informed, compassionate and respectful demeanor. In our diverse student cohort, I am always learning and growing through my wonderful students. My goal is to create a joyful creative space for students, while also giving them useful tools for their future careers.
“What impresses me most about Professor Clarke is her ability to connect
authentically with every single student in this class, and this included students who were
teenagers, in their twenties, thirties, and forties. She exhibited a boundless energy that
reflected her commitment to her work and her students. I felt an elevated level of joy
when coming to her class not only because of the stimulating content, but also directly
from Professor Clarke’s no-nonsense charm and creativity. I personally experienced
Professor Clarke’s ability to see to the core of what made each of us unique, and this
heightened her relationship with us no matter how short the interaction.”
CURRICULUM VITAE
