Becoming Clara

Becoming Clara is a magical and wondrous story set in the world's most enduring ballet. The Nutcracker. At a Christmas Eve party in 1892 St. Petersburg, Marie, a 12-year-old girl receives a special gift from her Uncle Drosselmeyer. Her young brother Fritz covets it and breaks the toy.

It’s forgotten as she was taken to the magnificent Mariinsky Theater on Christmas night. Surprised that a ballet is presented after the expected Opera. Her own story, her home, her family portrayed, she’s renamed, she’s now Clara. Horrified. Alone and frightened, she’s abandoned, her parents leaving in their carriage. Wandering through time, she must dance the role to find herself.

Destined, she meets Clare, in 2026 San Francisco. An advanced student, she’s a member of a junior professional company. Talented, yet conflicted, she’s desperate. It’s the season for The Nutcracker. Petite, and knowing the part, she’s perpetually cast in the same role: Clara a child, wearing soft slippers. Unlike her friends, in pointe shoes, moving into sophisticated parts.

After being troubled, “stalked” by the young Marie, Clare reaches out to her parents, and her beloved teacher Nick. Her parents do not find a problem; her brother Michael has gotten into some trouble. Nick tells her that he’s been fired. Clare is left to deal with Marie, with no help. After really listening to her tale...Clare finally comes to believe Marie’s story.

Making subtle changes to the beloved classic, the two young women rally their friends. Challenging the status quo, they clarify and illuminate the elusive meaning of the Ballet. Recognized supporting characters, including the ballet’s namesake, re-emerge with new importance.

Their lives now entwined, Marie and Clare find their own paths and purposes. In the magical world of the Nutcracker, they each discover and recover their own identities. Together, they are Becoming Clara.