Meet the Staff

Meet the Staff:
Grace Clark, Education Enrollment and Marketing Coordinator

By Melinda Graber, Marketing Apprentice

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am Jamaican-born (with Chinese descent) and came to the United States from Kingston at age 4. I come from a small family and was reared in Baltimore and Hartford. I have always been enamored with theatre and have performed in plays since elementary school. I am an actor and dancer and have also worked as a broadcast-print journalist, communications director, substitute teacher, and freelance writer. I produced and hosted my own TV show on NBC 30 and co-hosted a social/lifestyle TV show and syndicated radio program with my husband. I’m a passionate advocate for autism and founded a program for children with autism and their families. My most treasured time is with my husband and three teenaged children – a daughter and two sons.

Tell us about the first time you experienced live theatre and how it impacted you.

The first time I experienced live theatre was on a high school trip to New York City to see A Chorus Lineon Broadway. I had already been bitten by the theatre bug, and that show was about people on their own journeys to become actors. I was drawn to the ability of the actors to engage an audience and take them through a range of experiences, emotions and reactions. I knew I wanted to do that in some way.

Take us through your day-to-day responsibilities as Education Enrollment and Marketing Coordinator.

I am responsible for registering youth and adults for our studio classes. Having had my own children enrolled in Hartford Stage’s summer youth studio, and as someone who has taken our adult studio classes, I can share personal experiences with apprehensive parents unsure of which classes their children should take and actors looking to grow their skills. I manage reservations for student matinees and onsite coordination with schools. I edit marketing materials for our education programs and develop promotional strategies. I have also been training as a substitute teaching artist.

What drew you to explore the educational side of theatre?

As an actor and a teacher, as well as being a parent with children who have been regularly exposed to the arts, I can relate to the audiences we are trying to reach. This includes the young people of Hartford, many of whom have not been exposed to live theatre. As a woman of color who grew up in the city and attended Hartford public schools, working in theatre education allows me to advocate to students about how theatre arts can help define them and give them a voice.

What are the challenges and rewards of working in theatre education?  

The volume of people registering for our studio classes and schools making reservations for student matinees is incredible. All the pieces needed to make those things happen smoothly and efficiently is very time-consuming. The best part is that everyone who comes to Hartford Stage is here because they want to be. This includes parents who sign their children up for studio classes, educators who know the value of exposing students to theatre, our teaching artists whose enthusiasm does not waiver, and our staff who work every day to market and promote. I also enjoy meeting the colorful and talented actors from all over the world. To be in the midst of these accomplished artists, talking with them and seeing the fruits of their labor on our stage, is a privilege.

Why do you think theatre education is important?

When I worked as a substitute elementary school teacher, I created opportunities for students to bring the characters they read about to life by allowing them to act out scenes. Theatre education lifts characters off the pages and makes them relatable. It is important because it engages readers and breeds actors, therein a next generation of artists. It also gives students a better understanding of text and confidence that they might not have ever gained if not for that experience.

You are also an actor. Please tell us more about that.

Being the only one around me with a heavy Jamaican Patois accent when I was younger, I tried to reinvent myself and find my own creative voice. As an adolescent, I later found it through theatre. I acted onstage throughout middle and high school. I was in the first graduating class of the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts and attended a summer youth program with guest teaching artists at Hartford Stage. I also participated in musical theatre and dance activities while attending UConn’s Upward Bound summer program in high school and later at Emerson College in Boston. Most recently, I acted in For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf(as Lady in Red). My immersion in theatre also inspired my daughter to pursue theatre as part of her college studies. I am developing projects with my husband, also an actor, so we are a performing arts family. I plan to continue acting and hopefully inspire through my work.

Please tell us about the personal connection you have to our annual sensory-friendly performance of A Christmas Carol.

I dream of a world where my sons, who are on the autism spectrum, can exist in the general public, not be judged and enjoy the same life moments and experiences as anyone else. Many people with autism have heightened senses that may cause them to be overwhelmed by noises, lights and movements. As a parent, I applaud Hartford Stage for its sensory-friendly performance of A Christmas Carol. It isan opportunity for people with autism and other special needs to be themselves. The show conforms to them with no expectations other than experiencing music and acting onstage and having a wonderful life experience that their families can share with them.

Do you have other talents or passions outside of working in theatre?

I am a journalist a heart, so I’m always looking to tell stories. My goal is to publish children’s books, plays and films. I also love to dance; I’ve danced and trained with my husband for the past decade and continue to perform. My other passion is autism advocacy. I plan to grow my initiative, Autism Multicultural Program, which offers social, recreational, arts and educational activities to children on the autism spectrum and their families.

What is your personal motto in life?

“Life isn’t about finding yourself; life is about creating yourself.”  I also think you have to know how to laugh at yourself no matter what and be limitless in your vision and goals.