The actors playing Persues and Medusa embrace. Medusa is lifted in the air. The stage is lit in purples and reds.

Playwriting

I write for the stage to create joy, form connections, and explore big, complicated ideas. I am passionate about the crossover between physical and digital spaces. Here are some of my produced works and what's in-motion. Skip to bio →

Moody illustration of a mermaid sea witch holding a magic globe.

Illustration by me.

Little Blue

Little Blue is a reimagining of H.C. Andersen's original The Little Mermaid, a coming-of-acceptance story told through the lens of mental illness. Written for adults young and old, the play centers on the mermaid sisters — teenagers newly without a mother — trying to parent their littlest sister themselves. It is a story of love, misunderstanding, humor, heartbreak, and hope. (For 7-24 actors with doubling.)

​

Watch Kennedy Center performance

​

Open Doors Festival, The Kennedy Center + Open Circle Theatre

Semifinalist, Bay Area Playwright's Conference

Actors playing Medusa and Perseus meet each other's gaze for the first time.

Medusa's Reflection

Perseus is on a quest to kill Medusa, and Medusa is ready for it. She has suffered enough. But wait, heroes can't claim victory without a fight. Maybe there's more to Medusa than meets the eye, if only Perseus could look at her without turning to stone.

​

Part of Fighting Chance at SAFEhouseARTS in SF

Starring Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor's greatest love affairs and deepest tragedies were closely observed by her producers, the paparazzi, and the world. A play-poem about Liz's early life, formed from verbatim interviews and lines from her films. Co-written with Lara Hillier.

​

Produced at Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY

The ensemble lifts Elizabeth Taylor in an iconic Cleopatric side-lounging pose.

Photo by Rachel Philipson.

Hungry

The Phoenix Flower Cafe, deep in the New Mexico desert. A comically dysfunctional, fiercely cruel, and deeply loving family are hungry for change. When a stranger shows up, will they find the magic they’re looking for?

​

Workshopped at Profile Theatre in Portland, OR

Read at Penguin Rep in Stony Point, NY

Read at Primary Stages / ESPA in NYC

​

An absctract scenic design with elements for the American Southwest: cacti, the moon, the body of a woman, gas pumps. Diner furniture is suspended in the air, as actors face forward.

Conceptual design by Stephen Dobay.

Screen Shot 2021-12-15 at 12.10.43 AM.png

Pretend! The Musical

Justine is perfect princess material. However, when her fairy godmother is unable to give her a happily-ever-after, she grows up quickly. "The dreams that you wish do come true", so be careful what you wish for. Co-written with James Rushin.

​

Workshopped at The Pitch / Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn NY

Workshopped at MTAP / University of Pittsburgh

Workshopped at Carnegie Mellon / Playground in Pittsburgh, PA

The City

Three dreamers act out their hopes and fears in this coming-of-age collection of scenes, music, and poetry. Co-developed with the company (Christine Dwyer, Bethany James, Jamison Daniels, and Kyle Brand), as well as guest composers.

​

Produced at Sandbox Theatre / Paul Gleason Theatre in LA

​

Three actors stand with their backs to each other. There is a single lighbulb above their head. They're bathed in a soft blue light.
Writer-actress Amy Claussen, a tall white man with curly red hair, stares at a stage full of bubbles, beside a large vase.

Solo shows

I've written a collection of lyrical solo pieces, combining a theme with an element: beauty + water, home + earth, love + fire, wind + loss.

​

Performed at NYC Fringe Festival

Performed at Allegheny RiverStone Arts in Foxburg, PA

Performed at Garage Theatre Group in Teaneck, NJ

Performed at Perry-Mansfield in Steamboat, CO

Performed at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, PA

Performed at Idyllwild Arts Academy in CA

Bio

Amy Claussen is a playwright and cross-media writer based in the Washington, DC area. As an artist with a mental and chronic illness, she’s on a journey to create more inclusive stories in accessible formats. Her plays have been produced at the Hangar Theatre, New York Fringe Festival, SAFEhouseARTS, Garage Theatre Group, and more. She's had workshops and readings at Profile Theatre, The Pitch @ Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, and Penguin Rep, among others. As a director, she's worked at Berkeley Rep's Ground Floor with Lauren Gunderson and the Hangar Theatre's Pilot Series with Alice Austen, as well as assisted on Nora and Delia Ephron's Love, Loss, and What I Wore. She is the recipient of a Drama League Fellowship in directing. For digital products, she's written for mobile games, including The Sims and SimCity, and she's currently a UX Content Designer at The Washington Post. She loves teaching storytelling across forms (plays, games, poetry, musicals, design), and she's worked with organizations such as Cal Academy of Science, Maven Youth, Bethlehem Haven Women's Shelter, and Idyllwild Arts Academy. She holds a BFA in theatre directing from Carnegie Mellon.

Amy Claussen smiles warmly and looks directly out. She is a white woman with long red hair. She's wearing a while shirt with rolled sleaves, jeans, and brown boots. She sits at a white comfy chair, in front of a cabin window.