Claire Yenson 2013 BA in Theatre
Claire was attending a private all-girls Catholic school in Arlington, when she discovered community theatre, “…where I shined and I loved performing.” As a result, she started in the performance track at VCU, but “quickly realized it wasn’t going to be where I was excelling.” After two years, Claire returned home for the summer and got an internship in Arts Administration for the children’s theatre where she was worked a child.
When she returned to VCU, Cadence Theatre had just started their relationship with VCU and Claire was hired as the first intern where, “Anna Johnson (Artistic Director) gave me free reign to explore. I was having such a wonderful time that I applied for internships at DC theatres and swung for the fences and applied in New York.”
This resulted in a gig at Manhattan Theatre Club and she “decided to move to NYC with $500 in my account, like everyone does.” She assisted famed casting director James Calleri and “he treated more like a collaborator, as opposed to an intern.” She was there for Of Mice and Men with James Franco and Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
After a short exposure to being an agent, she “missed working in theatre full time.” In 2017, she started in casting at The Public. Claire recalls, “It was wonderful to be surrounded by people who are so passionate and talented and thoughtful and challenge each other every day to be better artists.”
Ironically, she left there in February 2020, right before all the theatres shut down for COVID. Thanks to a connection from her husband Brian, she’s now working for Laura Rosenthal, where she’s worked on the 2nd season of Modern Love (Amazon Prime TV) and Bridge and Tunnel (Epix).
Her most recent casting was for an upcoming FX series Fleishman Is in Trouble, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Claire Danes. Our Claire was also able to get two fellow alums recurring roles on that show: Maggie Horan (BFA ‘13) plays Danes’ assistant and Justin Ahdoot (BFA ‘13) plays a doctor.
Claire comments, “I really love actors and want them to succeed.” At the rate she’s going Claire is destined to succeed, while helping others too.
Compiled by Liz Hopper (professor emeritus) and Jerry Williams (BFA ’71) for the July 2022 Theatre Alumni newsletter