Claire Wedemeyer – Clown, CircEsteem MD
Claire is a native of St. Louis, Missouri and a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College with a BA in Theatre Arts. Highlights of her training in performance include a year at the British American Drama Academy in London, and summer programs with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and Northwestern University. Following graduation in 1999 she entertained audiences in New York City for four years with clowning, acting, and story-telling; this is also where Claire began teaching these skills as well as yoga. Her favorite experiences in the big apple were performing in leading comedic roles at Lincoln Center, the Sanford Meisner Theatre and the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater, and playing Sigmund Freud’s mother on PBS. In August of 2003 Claire attended clown school under the instruction of Dick Monday, Tiffany Riley and the New York Goofs, which proved the catalyst to life in the circus. Claire shortly afterwards signed on to be a clown with Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey for the remainder of 2003 and then 2004. Next she joined the fabulous Kelly Miller Circus for 2005 and 2006 seasons. Among other hobbies Claire loves to play the ukulele, walk on her hands, make stuff out of newspaper, juggle, read, and write. Claire has helped CircEsteem develop the CircEsteemMD program and teaches at schools all over Chicago. Her favorite thing about the circus is that the audience includes Children of All Ages. To learn more about Claire please visit her website.