Claire Karpen & James Ortiz Featured on SOMETHING NEW Podcast

In Episode 310, award-winning musical theatre writer Joel B. New sat down with James Ortiz (Strangemen & Co., Co-Artistic Director) and Claire Karpen, currently appearing in the Fiasco / Roundabout revival of INTO THE WOODS.

Claire Karpen is an actor, writer, and director. Her performing credits include David Ives's The Heir Apparent, directed by John Rando @ CSC; Into the Woods at the Old Globe, McCarter, and Fiasco; The 60's Project @ Goodspeed; The Last Five Years @ Stamford Center for the Arts; Richard III, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, and Comedy of Errors @ Trinity Rep. She co-wrote Hardcore West Virginia with Mike Pettry, which was part of a 2012 ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop. As a director, she has had a hand in The Woodsman @ 59E59; Henry IV Part I, Trelawny of the Wells, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune and A Little Night Music, all @ Juilliard; and Voices in My Head @ Ars Nova. She received her training at Juilliard and Brown University. She can currently be seen as Cinderella and Granny in Fiasco Theater's critically-acclaimed revival of INTO THE WOODS, now playing at The Laura Pels Theatre in New York, as part of Roundabout Theatre Company's current season.

James Ortiz is a NYC based actor, director, writer, puppet designer, and co-artistic director of Strangemen & Co. Acting credits include The Woodsman (59e59) El Gato Con Botas (Tectonic Theatre Co.), On the Head of a Pin (Strangemen) , and Rhinoceros (UglyRhino). Design/directorial credits (puppet or otherwise) include: the Tempest (D.C. Shakespeare) King Lear (Public Theatre and Theatre for a New Audience) Midsummer Night's Dream (New Place Players) Miss Lilly Gets Bones (Studio 42) My Base and Scurvy Heart (Studio 42) The Little Mermaid (Glass Bandits), and The Woodsman (Ars Nova.) Recipient of the 2013 Jim Henson Foundation Grant.

For the song portion of the episode, Jenny Neale performs "The Fort" from The Songs of Joel B. New, Volume I, now available for purchase on Repertwa.com. Ms. Neale has been featured extensively in New's work, most notably originating the role of "Susan" in his chamber musical, RSVP.

Named one of the Top 20 Podcasts for Theatre Fans by BroadwayWorld.com, "Something New" dissects what it means to be a working, multifaceted artist in America and always concludes with a premiere recording from one of New's latest musical projects. "Something New" is available on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and TuneIn. For more info, please visit joelbnew.com.