Clara Steeves
Hi and welcome to Roe Versus Wade! My name is Clara Steeves and I am delighted to be playing Candy and Christine; two women both with strong moral beliefs and valid opinions (though perhaps different from yours and mine), who are caught in a world with intense clashes between sexes, religion, and individual and collective rights. I proudly hail from Newfoundland, Canada, left home at 15 to go to a performing arts preparatory school in northern Michigan and have ended up in New York where I am currently a BFA acting major (sophomore) at SUNY Purchase. Past credits as an actor at Interlochen Center for the Arts include The Winter's Tale (Camillo), Cardenio(Marcella), Our Town (Stage Manager), and A Flea in her Ear (Hotel Guest). My path to get here is a bit unusual. Newfoundland has a major fishing industry, worth one billion dollars that employs over 20,000 people. Theatre, however, is not something that pops into one’s head when one thinks of Newfoundland. Leaving home made all the difference in my theater training. During this process of Roe Versus Wade I was very motivated, inspired, and moved by my peers. Watching them act makes me think and question. Observing life and reading also inspires me. Living on an arts campus for the past five years has taught me that being an artist isn’t just about practicing and working hard. It is also about broadening yourself and your knowledge and being open to new thoughts and ideas. Reading great literature like Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy (my favorite book) or Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (my second favorite book) helps me see the world from a different perspective. Different perspectives and opinions is something central to Roe Versus Wade. Spending time researching the time period, laws of the time and the history of the time allowed me to gain an understanding as to why certain characters might have these certain opinions and beliefs. I have loved the opportunity to play and fight for characters with beliefs so very different from my own. I would like to thank my fellow cast members, our dedicated and supportive stage management team, Devin and Siobban, and our enthusiastic, passionate and simply wonderful director Roz for their tireless work and commitment throughout this whole process. Thank you to the entire faculty for their guidance, and to my friends and family for their support. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the impact of my Grandma Marge who saw very early on that I wanted to be an actor and who supported and encouraged me. Enjoy the show!