THOMASINA CLARKE is an accomplished actor, director, musician, writer, and former middle school drama teacher in the St. Louis Public Schools District. She started her acting career in grade school and earned a BA in Theatre Arts from Xavier University.
Throughout her career, Thomasina has worked with various theatre companies, including Unity Theatre Ensemble, Metro Theatre Circus (now known as Metro Theatre Company), Upstream Theatre Company, and Hot City. She has made significant contributions to productions such as Julius Caesar and The Tempest at the Shakespeare Festival-St Louis, as well as in Complacency of Silence: Darfur by Gitana Productions. Thomasina also founded her improv group, Just Us, in New Orleans and has written, directed, and produced over fifty plays and musicals for both children and adults.
Thomasina began her journey in filmmaking in 2009. She served as the director of photography and editor for Love UnImagined: A Love Supreme, produced by HK Films, which was featured at the St. Louis International Film Festival. Additionally, she directed and edited the St. Louis Public Library’s 60-second short competition titled Openings and received a CALOP grant to create The Loop: Authentically Nostalgic. Furthermore, she was instrumental in establishing the first St. Louis Youth Film Festival.
A lifelong resident of The Ville neighborhood in Northern St. Louis, Thomasina has been an active community advocate. She cofounded 4theVille, an organization focused on community-based tourism and the arts, and initiated We Live Here—The Ville to help preserve, restore, and revitalize the area. Thomasina is a Community Arts Training (CAT) Fellow and a Neighborhood Leadership Fellow (NLF) and is always involved in various collaborative community projects. She serves on the Sumner Advisory Board, which aims to keep Sumner High School open and thriving with a focus on the arts. Her contributions have earned her several accolades, including the Arts and Education Council’s St. Louis Arts Catalyst Award, the Charles Bobo Shaw Lifetime Achievement Award from Theatre De La Rue, and the Outstanding Actor, Director, and Filmmaker Award from Until You’ve Walked in Her Shoes, Inc.