Claire Kaplan

I am a theatre-maker who specializes in elevating, exploding, and fucking with bedrock texts from Shakespeare to Williams to Odets to Rogers and Hammerstein. I believe in the power of a good script to act as a baseline for more universal, diverse, and mythic stories. To this end I use my own combo of Viewpoints, Alexander, Meisner, Grotowski, mask work, and LeCoq to release the fundamental tool—the body. This is explored through preparing the body to follow impulse and desire without obstacle.

My tenets are Compassion, Permission, Communion. 

I am a founding member of Hungry River, a theatre company in the tradition of Brook and Grotowski— disappear into the wilderness and see what you find. Following that model, Hungry River operated in the Mojave high desert, favoring rigorous physical training and praxis. With them, I served as director of education, writing curricula and instructing at every school in the Sierra Sands district, as well as holding workshops for teenagers and adults. I also served as a director of development, forming community bonds for a more sustainable arts model.

I’ve created and performed original work in LA, San Diego, Chicago, and Berlin. Regional credits include the La Jolla Playhouse, East West Players, and South Coast Rep. Take a look at some on my past projects here at The West, and take a look at my personal portfolio!