Sarah Charipar

Artist Bio

Sarah holds an M.F.A. in Theatre from DePaul University. Since completing her studies she has worked extensively in theatres throughout Chicago, including Famous Door and The Goodman Theatre. She has been in a number of productions at Steppenwolf Theatre, including the Tony award winning production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest on Broadway. Sarah also works in television, film and voice-over.

Sarah has worked with Urban Gateways for two years. Her college teaching includes the University of Illinois Chicago and she will be teaching Contemporary Acting Styles at North Central College in the spring.

Artist Statement

My love of theatre and performance began at a very early age. I have always s been filled with wonder by the dramatic powers of transformation and illumination found in the theatre. Early on in my studies I discovered the educational potential of this art form through my work with improvisational theatre designed to educate audiences on a variety of issues concerning the youth of the day. As my studies continued, my belief in the powers of this art form to challenge, expand and enrich its participants has only grown stronger. Every endeavor undertaken in the theatre forces you to deepen your understanding not only of your self, but of others. You must re-examine the world around you and seek to come to terms with that which may be unfamiliar or uncomfortable. To study theatre is to study the many aspects of life; psychology, history, politics, art, science, to try and understand our place in a greater context.

Educational Philosophy

I believe that the theatre arts serve as a tremendous access point to engage and stimulate students on a variety of levels. Theatre demands cooperation, insight, self awareness, empathy, creativity and perhaps most importantly a sense of play. Theatre builds bridges of understanding and allows students to step out of themselves and experience themselves and their surroundings in an entirely new way.  

I encourage my students to explore different modes of expression and guide them to create new “languages” for themselves. My focus is much more on the experience than the result. I try to steer thinking away from a specific goal or result and support the spontaneous creative impulses of each individual.

The strategies I use to stimulate artistic expression include storytelling, role playing, improvisation, scripted work, non-verbal movement based exploration and writing exercises. I try to allow for an emergent curriculum guided by the strengths and desires of the individuals. I also enjoy the challenges of finding ways to incorporate a school’s goal or curricula standard into an innovative way to engage and motivate students.
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