ACTING COACH

Claire is guest faculty at Juilliard in the Drama and Extension Divisions; and has worked at Columbia University’s MFA Grad Acting; Syracuse BFA and Tepper Center; Nord Anglia International School; MudBone Arts Center; Juilliard Kissimmee Arts Intensive; and masterclass workshops at Roundabout, the Public, the Old Globe, and the Chautauqua Institution.  As a private coach, Claire regularly works with actors on material for film, television, theater, musical theater, as well as MFA, BFA , and other acting program auditions. She can help develop and exercise an overall process to use, not only for auditions, but throughout all stages of your career.

SCENE STUDY

Claire teaches every semester at the Juilliard Extension Division and regularly offers private scene study classes in New York City by invitation.

Curious about coaching or would like to be considered for a class? Please reach out.

Testimonials

  • "Claire is a one-of-a-kind coach. She has a unique way of highlighting your strengths to showcase your individuality. Her collaborative nature and warm personality allows you to open yourself completely to create your best art. Every rehearsal was incredibly educational as both an actor and human, and just down right fun! Without Claire, there is no way I would have gotten into grad school! If you want the best, then you want Claire!"

      - Aishling Pembroke, NYU Grad Acting

  • "Claire Karpen is smart, direct and incredibly helpful. She knows how to guide an actor and ultimately enhance what you already bring to the table. I highly recommend her."

    - Andrea Syglowski, Juilliard Drama

  • "I will not walk into an audition without first running through my sides with Claire Karpen. Rather than forcing her ideas upon you (as many acting coaches are want to do), she gently and intelligently helps bring out the best version of yourself, as it relates to the character you are trying to portray."

    - Scott Aiello, Juilliard Drama

  • "Claire is an experienced coach who was able to adapt herself to my needs and guide me through all the steps (including choosing the right texts) of my MFA audition preparation. She is patient and knows how to make the student evolve. She’s easy to work with and makes you feel confident about your work. I would definitely work with her again on future auditions."

    - Anne S., MFA ACT

  • "I've had the privilege to work with Claire as a director [A Little Night Music] and as a coach in preparation for my grad school auditions. Her enthusiasm and passion for the material is inspiring and invites the collaborators to bring all of themselves to the work. She perfectly blends the professional and the personal, leading with astute observations and artful generosity."

    - Phillip Stoddard, Juilliard Drama

  • "Diving into Claire's class means diving deep into a scene. She helps you ask the right questions that lead to an authentic and connected performance. Her welcoming demeanor makes the learning environment warm and comfortable. You will be challenged in the best way possible.”

    - Richie Altmanshofer, Scene Study

  • “Claire is an incredibly intuitive coach who provides a rare opportunity to work with top-tier professionals in a playful and open environment. She cultivates a space for experimentation, allowing each student to focus on their specific needs while learning from the diverse talents of others. This unique approach results in classes filled with inspiration, valuable insights, and significant artistic growth. I couldn't recommend Claire’s scene study class highly enough!”

    - Justin Pontier, Scene Study

  • "Claire was a true partner throughout my 2 year journey of applying to MFAs. Now that I am entering a program in the fall, I feel so equipped to start this journey because Claire has helped me make the application/audition journey such an incredible learning experience. She is authentic and caring, and brings so much craft, collaboration and openness into rehearsal with you. She helps you explore the choices that are most authentic and not the ones that you feel you "should" make, she tells me what I need to hear even when it isn't comfortable. All of this stems from her own dedication to acting and theatre-making. My training journey as an actor would not have been so rewarding if it weren't for Claire."

    - Elisabeth Ho, RADA MA Theatre Lab

  • "You can tell Claire's class is different from any other acting class you've been to the second she walks in. She doesn't walk in the room with an single viewpoint or method, or a technique that if dissected will show you how to act. She walks in with a big smile, an eagerness to teach and a toolbox full of tools to show her students. Tools that will help the student sharpen their craft, but that is ultimately left up for them to decide what works best for their process. Claire provides a warm and safe space where actors can play and explore together the beautiful mechanics of character, scene work and craft. Go, you will not regret it.”

    - Ray Huth, Scene Study

  • “Claire’s Scene Study course was exceptional. The scenes she assigned were challenging enough to encourage growth and sink my teeth into, while also being incredibly fun to perform. She holds space for each student and honors their artistic process while offering feedback that is rooted in what THEY have expressed interest in. There is a great sense of self-autonomy I felt as her student. I also felt Claire really respected me as an actor and valued my input, which made me feel safe to express myself and try new things in her class. I loved that Claire used her experience and skillset as not only an actor and teacher, but as a director when offering feedback. This was helpful as an actor in this scene study course because we were often blocking our own scenes. When she would offer directorial notes, we could make simple fixes that allowed us to focus our time on the acting and scene work. I had a great time exploring different acting tools with my scene, and my only wish is that I could keep working on it with Claire more!”

    - Alix Curnow, Scene Study

  • "Claire is a smart and warm director. Working with her, there is a sense that I am being heard and seen fully, and that my own excellence is being demanded of me. She will keep digging for more specificity and clarity."

    - Ben Mehl, NYU Grad Acting