Carolyn Guido Clifford

Carolyn Guido Clifford

Carolyn Guido Clifford is a playwright, director, and arts educator living and working in Cincinnati, OH. She has a bachelor’s in Theatre Arts from Northern Illinois University and pursuing her MFA in Playwriting from the University of California, Riverside, Low Residency program. Beyond her own creative endeavors, Carolyn Guido Clifford's passion for the arts extends to education. She is the Director of...
Carolyn Guido Clifford is a playwright, director, and arts educator living and working in Cincinnati, OH. She has a bachelor’s in Theatre Arts from Northern Illinois University and pursuing her MFA in Playwriting from the University of California, Riverside, Low Residency program. Beyond her own creative endeavors, Carolyn Guido Clifford's passion for the arts extends to education. She is the Director of Education at Cincinnati Ballet, faculty at Xavier University and guest teaches playwriting, dance, devising, and acting around the region. Prior to her time at Cincinnati Ballet, she was the Associate Director of Education and Community Engagement at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park where she led the Off the Grid program, creating immersive theatrical experiences for young professionals and stewarded the audience engagement strategies for the main stage season. Her play "The A-List" underwent a workshop at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati in 2017. In 2021, she was commissioned by the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for their PodPlay series, leading to the production of "Akin." As a director, she is passionate about directing new plays in development including "The Color of Leaves" by Isaiah Reaves, "My Geriatric Uterus" by Lormarev Jones, and "in a stand of dying trees" by Shannon TL Kearns. She has committed her career to making the experience of seeing theatre accessible and relatable to new audiences, no matter their perceived barriers.

Plays

  • Awake(d) by Carolyn Guido Clifford
    Cast: 
    6–8
    ·
    Genre: drama, movement/physical
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    Keyword: PTSD, Effects of trauma + 2 more
    Genre: drama, movement/physical
    Keyword: PTSD, Effects of trauma, Millenials, school shooting
    Fifteen years after a school shooting, a tight-knit group of college friends reunites for their friend Cameron’s wedding, the last significant event among them. The play takes place in dual spaces, one through Instagram-filtered movement and the other outside in the alley where they each go to escape. The group is no longer close, having grown apart because of their spouses and jobs, yet like all college...
    Fifteen years after a school shooting, a tight-knit group of college friends reunites for their friend Cameron’s wedding, the last significant event among them. The play takes place in dual spaces, one through Instagram-filtered movement and the other outside in the alley where they each go to escape. The group is no longer close, having grown apart because of their spouses and jobs, yet like all college friends, they still feel a sense of permanence. Their bond is both deepened and harmed by their shared trauma. Throughout the evening, Laurie's unhealed wounds resurface as she starts to experience panic attacks. At first, everyone pretends not to notice, except her college fling Alex, but when fireworks trigger an episode of PTSD, Laurie’s condition can no longer be ignored. As the night progresses, the characters are forced to confront their collective past, exposing the stark differences in how they navigated the aftermath of the event and revealing the depth of their fractured relationships.
  • The A-List by Carolyn Guido Clifford
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    3–4
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 2 more
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    Keyword: reproductive choice, McCarthyism + 4 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, political, satire
    Keyword: reproductive choice, McCarthyism, abortion, contemporary social issues, female, American politics
    Ruth and Corey Giles are living the relatively comfortable lives of two young professionals when the consequences of a recent presidential election forces them come to terms with an intimate secret from Ruth’s past. Opening and subsequently interspersed through the play is a recording of a hearing held by the Select Committee of Abortion and Fetal Rights happening in the near future. Ruth is called to appear in...
    Ruth and Corey Giles are living the relatively comfortable lives of two young professionals when the consequences of a recent presidential election forces them come to terms with an intimate secret from Ruth’s past. Opening and subsequently interspersed through the play is a recording of a hearing held by the Select Committee of Abortion and Fetal Rights happening in the near future. Ruth is called to appear in front of Congress to testify about her abortion as a young twenty something.
  • break. by Carolyn Guido Clifford
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: contemporary romance, broken marriage + 2 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: contemporary romance, broken marriage, gender roles, American South
    The play takes place over a series of three cigarette breaks during a family holiday visit.
    Romance writer, Shane and her husband, Will have traveled to Will’s childhood home in Southern Louisiana. Shane wasn’t prepared for the culture shock or the change in her husband’s character upon crossing the Mason Dixon line. Immediately, she feels stifled but does her best to remain loyal and calm. She seeks...
    The play takes place over a series of three cigarette breaks during a family holiday visit.
    Romance writer, Shane and her husband, Will have traveled to Will’s childhood home in Southern Louisiana. Shane wasn’t prepared for the culture shock or the change in her husband’s character upon crossing the Mason Dixon line. Immediately, she feels stifled but does her best to remain loyal and calm. She seeks her solace in smoking, a long-time habit and a dangerous affair with a member of Will's family.