Claire Dewar is an actress based in Los Angeles who was born and raised in Brisbane, Australia. Her journey to the world of performing arts began at the age of three when she commenced ballet lessons. By eight, she was also taking drama lessons and so began her journey to the stage. Claire made the decision to move from Australia to Los Angeles to follow her dreams and commenced studying at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Her time at the Academy allowed her to hone and develop her craft by learning from some of the best! She successfully completed the Academy’s 2-year Conservatory program, graduating with her A.O.S. Degree. Her talent and commitment did not go unnoticed by the Academy when she was offered and very gratefully accepted a position in the Academy’s Los Angeles Company. We caught up with Claire to chat about her play “Reasons To Be Happy.”
Welcome Claire! This is such an incredibly exciting project. Tell us about “Reasons To Be Happy.”
Hello – thank you for having me. Yes indeed, “Reasons To Be Happy” is the second play in a trilogy of plays all revolving around the same characters as they journey through life. It picks up 3 years later after “Reasons To Be Pretty”, the main characters though are now in different romantic relationships. All the characters are searching desperately for the elusive thing we all search for: happiness. I play Carly who is a security guard and young, single Mom. It is written by Neil LaBute and this production was co-directed by Matt Neves and William Hart.
Are you anything like your character?
Not really. I am not really like my character Carly but some elements of her were relatable to me. We are both young and finding our way through relationships, work and life. Carly taught me that I need to stand up for myself more.
How did you prepare for the role?
During the rehearsal process, Matt and Will both believed in me and pushed me to take more risks in my portrayal of Carly to come up with an authentic and believable character. I am very grateful for their support, belief in me and in the final Carly character I was able to bring to life. During the rehearsal process I tried to find ways to relate to Carly and her situation. I am very proud of this piece of theater and my performance. I’m particularly proud of my performance in “Reasons To Be Happy”.
If you weren’t into acting what else would you be doing?
If I wasn’t acting, I think I would like to work in childcare because I like young children and they seem to like me too. With my acting background, I could make storytelling and playing games so much more exciting and fun.
If you had one message to give to your fans, what would it be?
I would say always stay positive, be persistent and work hard to achieve your dreams. Don’t listen to anyone who tries to tell you, you can’t achieve what you want. It’s your dream and you can achieve anything you put your mind to.
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