Get to know MOTHER OF THE MAID Director Desireé Clark
by moxielicious
MOXIE audiences saw Desireé Clark on stage in The Mineola Twins, and will get to see her MOXIE directorial debut this spring with Jane Anderson’s Mother of the Maid. Associate Artistic Director Callie Prendiville asked Clark about her connection to the play:
PRENDIVILLE: What draws you to the Joan of Arc story?
CLARK: When I was 11 years old I performed a monologue from Henry VI part 1 where Joan is about to be led to her death. It was my first encounter with Joan of Arc, and I was immediately taken by her strength and willingness to step outside of the bounds of what was considered acceptable for women at the time of her valor and subsequent condemnation. So, when presented with the script for Mother of the Maid, I was immediately taken with this exploration of her mother, Isabelle. In researching Isabelle and the playwright, it became apparent that the story of a parent is one that is often overlooked; notably, how they deal with children who have aspirations or preferences outside of what they or society may deem acceptable. This play, inspired by the playwright’s journey of coming out, is an examination of that.
PRENDIVILLE: What scares you about the play?
CLARK: The scariest thing in the play is the juxtaposition between the medieval and the contemporary. They play takes place in 1426 France, but the language feels like it lives in the mid 20th century. I am hoping to create a symbiotic experience that is evident in the design and the acting and to have the period elements enhance our sense of now. It is a difficult thing to do, but I know our design team is up to the challenge.
PRENDIVILLE: What are you excited about in terms of the process?
CLARK: I am most excited about working on the relationships in this play. It is a wonderful piece to really delve into character. I am a huge fan of playing with dissonance in the form of tonality and I believe there is a beautiful opportunity here to explore that. I also have a wonderfully talented and brave cast who I know will take the audience on a heartfelt voyage into the world we are creating.
Mother of the Maid runs April 24 to May 22 live on stage at MOXIE. Tickets are available now!
More about Clark: Desireé Clarke is an Actor, Director and Producer with credits in the Coachella Valley, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Houston. She received her BFA in Acting from AMDA: College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts and is also a graduate of the British American Drama Academy. In 2019 she directed a staged reading of Rajiv Joseph’s Gruesome Playground Injuries for which she was awarded the Desert Theatre League Award for Best Director of a Staged Reading. Desiree is also the founder of the Naked Mind Theatre Group’s SHOUT! Program (a theatre program for grieving kids and teens) whose documentary about the program premiered at the National Alliance of Grieving Children Symposium in Portland, OR. She was the Director of Development for Desert Ensemble Theatre from 2020-2021 and was instrumental in ensuring the company was able to maintain and expand it’s internship program to include students from new schools and virtual programing. She also conceived and directed the DET’s online monologue slam that featured black actors and playwrights, LGBTQ+ actors, and young actors, reaching the largest audiences of the 2020-2021 season. Desiree is extremely passionate about the impact that theatre can have on underrepresented youth and the application of theatre as a healthy coping mechanism. Today she is a teaching artist at The La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe and Imagine Bravespaces.