Cleopatra Mavhunga
Director - Actor
​
Zimbabwean born and Boston raised, Cleopatra Mavhunga is an East Coast director, actor, and occasional playwright. Graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies with a concentration in Directing and with distinction, Cleopatra currently resides in Washington D.C. as Studio Theatre's 2023-2024 Directing Apprentice. When not in rehearsal, she adores cooking, exploring, working out, and nonsensical yet passionate discussions of reality tv.
​
​
Artist Philosophies
Acting
Directing
A character is life waiting to be breathed into existence by the passionate embodiment of the actor. When we perform, we forfeit our bodies and ourselves to the character, and allow them to walk about the world carefully crafted in the script and rehearsal room. The only way to bring a character to life is to show the upmost respect to the character and give space to their emotions, thoughts, mind, and body. To do so, the actor must be infinitely malleable, open, and possess a childlike wonder and amazement for discovery. Always asking questions, always wanting to go deeper, always wanting to explore every facate of the character, especially the moments unseen on the page and stage.
The power of the director is the power to both articulate and understand the greater vision, and the power to facilitate an environment where everyone is inspired to build upon that vision. Directing is a journey at sea, where all that is known for sure if the destination, and the journey is open to constant changes in its heading. As the director, you are the captain of the ship, charged with uniting the crew behind an adventure not yet realized. You are trusted with knowing not only where we are going, but how we are doing and keeping the faith in that final destination when the sea gets rough. In being the captain, you understand that without every last member of the crew, you will go nowhere. The expertise of everyone working to bring a show to life, the vast wealth of knowledge present aboard the ship is what makes the vision successful, the blindspots and inspirations that are both covered and found by every last member of the crew is the difference between a great show, and an unforgettable one.
