ABOUT
My name (she/they) is Clara Francesca (sometimes Pagone)… Latin for Famous Free Peacock. My father chose Clara after training with Freudian psychoanalyst Clara Lazar Geroe, my mother chose Francesca for its lyricism and a touch of the Renaissance and our surname formerly Pavone (the more standard Italian for peacock, until somewhere along the line the v went to a g). Since I migrated to North America there have been too many variants on how folk tell me how I should pronounce my own surname “Pagone” for my proud-inner-Sicilian-from-Catania-to-cope… Hence, Clara Francesca.
My origin began when I wanted to “come out” of my mum in the middle of the (originally hippie/fire-twirling/marijuana smoking) St Kilda Festival of Melbourne, Australia (a potential origin story for my chaotically-generous, usually happy, disposition), I began to work professionally as an actor in Australia whilst obtaining a double Bachelor’s Degree in Laws and Biomedical Sciences from Monash University. I spent some time working in Medical Negligence and a variety of empowerment programs for civil liberties organizations. However, as I continued to Perform, the Law Degree provided extremely beneficial to my understanding of artists’ rights and the Biomedical Degree allowed me to train in a wide range of neuroscience-based modalities, something that I especially cherish as an actor. Fusing my Acting with my Legal and Biomedical training enables me to enrich my performance work and support others by providing comprehensive Speech Coaching to those leveling up their communication prowess.
My mission became obvious to me in my mid-20s. I am the Philosopher of the Heart making Art. An award-winning artist, director, & speech coach, my passion is to unlock the individual’s authentic voice with a genuine curiosity for investigating what it truly means to co-exist in such a diverse world. My practice has always been driven by a sense of responsibility to sustainability and a deep dedication to conscionable conduct through equitable work practices, and creating art.
The Scoop
Clara Francesca is the Philosopher of the Heart making Art. An award-winning artist, director, & speech coach, Clara’s passion is unlocking the individual’s authentic voice with a genuine curiosity for investigating what it truly means to co-exist in such a diverse world. Clara’s practice has always been driven by a sense of responsibility to sustainability and a deep dedication to conscionable conduct through equitable work practices, and creating art. Clara continues to create digital and non-digital invigorating art, theater, exhibitions and music as a solo artist and as a member of multiple New York ensembles. She holds a double Bachelors Degree in Laws & Biomedical Sciences as a graduate of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.
Prior immigrating to North America, Clara had been developing her career as an award-winning solo-theatre actor, directing at notable stages such as La Mama, performing in award-winning feature films, Nationally touring bilingual children’s musical and notably she touring solo show Manifesting Mrs Marx (presented at The Edinburgh Fringe 2019 and 2020, Best Performance Art SaraSolo Winner, Outstanding Solo Performance & Outstanding Original Script Nominee IT Awards NYC). An inaugural alumni member of New York City’s SITI Company’s Conservatory she has worked with Anne Bogart, Roger Hendricks Simon, Tony Greco, Mary Overlie, Bill T. Jones, Laura Sheedy, Tom Nelis, Barney O’Hanlon, Darron West, Robert Woodruff, Tina Landau, Chuck Mee, Belinda Mello, Moises Kaufman, and the Martha Graham Studio, specializing in Suzuki, Viewpoints, and Alexander Technique. Teaching Artist credits include NY TownHall, East Village Phoenix Ensemble fr. Jean Cocteau Rep, Acting Antics, Australian Shakespeare Company. Clara has been a two-time guest adjudicator for the Mildura Eisteddfod Speech & Drama Festival, and Victorian Debating Association.
Awards include Best Actress Fairfax Melbourne Arts Centre for self-devised solo play, Best Performance SaraSolo International Festival, Best Actress two-time nominee Independent New York Theater Awards, Dante Alighieri Society three-time winner, Alliance Francaise Poetry two-time winner, recipient of the Dame Joan Sutherland Australian American Association Scholarship for Artistic Excellence and co-lead in multiple films, including Cannes Film Festival Distribution Market recipient and award-winner in South By South West. She is a former Victorian Actors’ Benevolent Trust Committee Member.
Clara has parlayed these experiences into a successful speech coaching business with an impressive client portfolio over fourteen years from C-suite executives to UN interns, from five year olds to seventy. Clara specializes in speech-anxiety reduction and fostering people with the confidence to walk into any room and love sharing their authentic voice. Clara continues to act in all mediums, notable IMDB credits and is a featured voiceover artist with household names Salvatore Ferragamo, Audible Books, Pokémon and Shiseido www.clarafrancesca.com