Bio
The Little Mermaid (FPCT 2016)
Photo: Jeff White Photography
Photo: Jeff White Photography
Lauren Carlton is an actor, director, mezzo-soprano, and stage intimacy director. She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre at the University of Central Arkansas where she teaches Directing for the Stage, Musical Theatre Literature, Text Analysis, Introduction to Theatre, Acting for Non-Majors, and Theatre Appreciation.
Prior to her time at UCA, she was a Visiting Lecturer of Opera Studies at Lawrence University's Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin and an Assistant Professor of Theatre and the Department of Theatre Program Director at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas. During her time at Lawrence she taught Acting for Singers and directed Fall and Spring Opera Scenes with Music Direction by Kristin Roach. She continued to develop the theatre major at Tabor College in collaboration with fellow theatre professor, Austin Harleson. She taught Acting, Directing, Auditioning, Voice and Movement, and Theatre Cohort, among other classes. In addition to teaching, she directed for Tabor College's main stage and mentored senior undergraduate capstone projects.
Her research interests are in theatrical intimacy choreography and pedagogy (with focuses in burlesque, historic representations of intimacy, trauma-informed choreography, and intimacy in new play/opera development), early modern staging conditions, Jane Drake Brody's SuperScenes in rehearsal, and gender roles in Shakespeare and subsequent operatic adaptations. She has presented on these topics at the Blackfriars Conference at the American Shakespeare Center, the National Opera Association National Conference, the Annual Conference on the Advancement of Women at Texas Tech University, and elsewhere.
As an actor and classical singer, Lauren has appeared with Huntsville Shakespeare, Rocket City Shakespeare, the Athenian Players, Fantasy Playhouse Children's Theater, Greensboro Light Opera and Song, Greensboro Opera, Eastern Music Festival, Astoria Music Festival, Texas Tech University School of Theatre and Dance, University of Alabama Opera Theatre, and Ars Nova School of the Arts in Huntsville, AL among others.
Lauren holds an MFA in Theatre Performance and Pedagogy with a focus in Directing from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas and a BA in Journalism with a self-designed minor in Opera Performance from the University of Alabama. During her time at TTU she taught Into to Acting for non-majors and Musical Theatre Literature and Musical Theatre History to BFA students as a Graduate Part Time Instructor.
Equally comfortable in the world of opera, Lauren appeared in four seasons with the University of Alabama Opera Theatre under the direction of Dr. Paul Houghtaling while at UA. Favorite UAOT credits include: Poppett the Cat in Britten's Paul Bunyan, Plucky/Lauren in the world premiere of Amir Zaheri's musical Over Dinner, Lua in the world premiere of Zaheri's Look Upon These Faces, and Madame Kirsten in the Alabama premiere of Dan Shore's The Beautiful Bridegroom. She is the 2012 winner of the Alabama Federation of Music Clubs Women’s Collegiate Voice Auditions and the 2012 MTNA Young Artist Voice Competition for the state of Alabama. She has performed recitals across the state in Mobile, Greensboro, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and Huntsville. Her work as a director and assistant director has been seen at the Druid City Opera Workshop and Red River Lyric Opera in Wichita Falls, Texas. She has served on the research committee of the National Opera Association since 2018 and will be joining the Editorial Board of The Opera Journal in 2022.
Off stage, Lauren works as a freelance teaching artist and director throughout the U.S. She was the Education and Outreach Coordinator at Fantasy Playhouse Children's Theatre and Academy from 2015-2016 and she has repeatedly returned throughout the years as a Teaching Artist. Her credits as a director include the world premiere of Randall Rapstine's one-act play, Starcrossed, Richard III, All's Well That Ends Well, The Hamlet Murders, The Somewhat True Tales of Robin Hood, The Adventures of a Comic Book Artist, Little Women, and more.
Her work as an arts journalist and columnist can be read online at OnStageBlog.com and NewMusicalTheatre.com's Green Room.
Prior to her time at UCA, she was a Visiting Lecturer of Opera Studies at Lawrence University's Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin and an Assistant Professor of Theatre and the Department of Theatre Program Director at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas. During her time at Lawrence she taught Acting for Singers and directed Fall and Spring Opera Scenes with Music Direction by Kristin Roach. She continued to develop the theatre major at Tabor College in collaboration with fellow theatre professor, Austin Harleson. She taught Acting, Directing, Auditioning, Voice and Movement, and Theatre Cohort, among other classes. In addition to teaching, she directed for Tabor College's main stage and mentored senior undergraduate capstone projects.
Her research interests are in theatrical intimacy choreography and pedagogy (with focuses in burlesque, historic representations of intimacy, trauma-informed choreography, and intimacy in new play/opera development), early modern staging conditions, Jane Drake Brody's SuperScenes in rehearsal, and gender roles in Shakespeare and subsequent operatic adaptations. She has presented on these topics at the Blackfriars Conference at the American Shakespeare Center, the National Opera Association National Conference, the Annual Conference on the Advancement of Women at Texas Tech University, and elsewhere.
As an actor and classical singer, Lauren has appeared with Huntsville Shakespeare, Rocket City Shakespeare, the Athenian Players, Fantasy Playhouse Children's Theater, Greensboro Light Opera and Song, Greensboro Opera, Eastern Music Festival, Astoria Music Festival, Texas Tech University School of Theatre and Dance, University of Alabama Opera Theatre, and Ars Nova School of the Arts in Huntsville, AL among others.
Lauren holds an MFA in Theatre Performance and Pedagogy with a focus in Directing from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas and a BA in Journalism with a self-designed minor in Opera Performance from the University of Alabama. During her time at TTU she taught Into to Acting for non-majors and Musical Theatre Literature and Musical Theatre History to BFA students as a Graduate Part Time Instructor.
Equally comfortable in the world of opera, Lauren appeared in four seasons with the University of Alabama Opera Theatre under the direction of Dr. Paul Houghtaling while at UA. Favorite UAOT credits include: Poppett the Cat in Britten's Paul Bunyan, Plucky/Lauren in the world premiere of Amir Zaheri's musical Over Dinner, Lua in the world premiere of Zaheri's Look Upon These Faces, and Madame Kirsten in the Alabama premiere of Dan Shore's The Beautiful Bridegroom. She is the 2012 winner of the Alabama Federation of Music Clubs Women’s Collegiate Voice Auditions and the 2012 MTNA Young Artist Voice Competition for the state of Alabama. She has performed recitals across the state in Mobile, Greensboro, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and Huntsville. Her work as a director and assistant director has been seen at the Druid City Opera Workshop and Red River Lyric Opera in Wichita Falls, Texas. She has served on the research committee of the National Opera Association since 2018 and will be joining the Editorial Board of The Opera Journal in 2022.
Off stage, Lauren works as a freelance teaching artist and director throughout the U.S. She was the Education and Outreach Coordinator at Fantasy Playhouse Children's Theatre and Academy from 2015-2016 and she has repeatedly returned throughout the years as a Teaching Artist. Her credits as a director include the world premiere of Randall Rapstine's one-act play, Starcrossed, Richard III, All's Well That Ends Well, The Hamlet Murders, The Somewhat True Tales of Robin Hood, The Adventures of a Comic Book Artist, Little Women, and more.
Her work as an arts journalist and columnist can be read online at OnStageBlog.com and NewMusicalTheatre.com's Green Room.