Clara Kundin was raised in good ol’ Kansas where she started acting at the ripe age of 7. She received her B.A. in Theatre and Women’s Studies from St. Olaf College and then traveled across the ocean to train in physical theater at the École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. From Paris, she moved to Brooklyn where she worked for 8 years before moving to Arizona where she received her MFA in Theatre for Youth & Community with an emphasis in Directing from Arizona State University. She is now an Assistant Professor at Eastern New Mexico University
Background
Clara has performed regionally at The Guthrie Theater, the Lawrence Arts Center, the Capital Fringe, the Chicago Fringe Festival, and as part of the original cast of the Off-Broadway hit Drunk Shakespeare. In Paris she performed regularly with Moving Parts and as a voice over artist. In New York, she was seen onstage at Rattlestick Theater, Metropolitan Playhouse, Torn Out Theater, The GYM at Judson, Creative Time, The Irondale Center, spit&vigor, and more. She has directed in NYC and beyond for Rebel Playhouse, Permafrost Theatre Collective, The Ume Group, Thought Bubble Theatre Festival, Mesa Encore Theatre, and Arizona State University, and has worked as a deviser with various companies and for her own work. She is an ensemble member of spit&vigor, an alumni company member of Brass Jar Productions, and a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.
In addition to her training at Arizona State University, St. Olaf College, and the École Jacques Lecoq, Clara has studied Shakespeare and devising with Ryan Quinn & Bedlam Theater, Shakespeare performance with Doug Scholz-Carlson of the Great River Shakespeare Festival, physical theater and Viewpoints at Studio 206 under Robert Rosen, mask with Mariana Araoz and butoh with Yumi Fujitani at the École du Jeu in Paris. In NYC she was a company member with The Ume Group for 2 years, training in butoh and commedia dell’arte. She studied voice with David McCarthy and is committed to continuing Anti-Racist Theater training.
Clara has taught and directed ages 3 - 93. She specializes in teaching devising and Lecoq technique and working with youth with disabilities. She is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Eastern New Mexico University and has additionally worked as an instructor, guest artist, and guest speaker at Arizona State University, Hamilton College, Wittenberg University, Hunter College, St. Olaf College, and the Lawrence Arts Center, and has taught for Childsplay, Mesa Arts Center, Rebel Playhouse, Mainstages, Woodlawn Conservancy, E.P.I.C. Players, and more. She additionally worked as the Afterschool Creative Coordinator and an Associate Teacher at the Mary McDowell Friends School.
In 2016 she founded Rebel Playhouse, a theater for young audiences, with Sarah Sutliff and Greer Samuels. She served as Executive Director and producer for all of their shows from 2016-2019. Their shows have been seen at the 14th Street Y, The Tank, the Chicago Kids Fringe, Troy Arts Center, Access Theater, and more.
Clara’s research focuses on the intersection of theater and learning disabilities, performances of motherhood, and devising methodologies. She regularly presents at national and international conferences including ATHE, ASTR, IFTR, CYPC, and ASSITEJ. She has been published in two anthologies by Demeter Press and has articles in Youth Theatre Journal and PARtake: The Journal of Performance as Research. She is the Graduate Student & Early Career Representative for the Directing Focus Group for ATHE.