Zion Clarke

For Zion Clarke '25, the creative mindset always came naturally. Since middle school, he says he chose to take creative electives to continue developing down that path. Among his available options, he says theatre seemed to have the most creative freedom, so he took a chance and auditioned. Now, Clarke is set to play the lead role in Knox’s next theatre production, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which Clarke says will be his 36th performance in total. 

This performance will have a special quality for Clarke. The lead character, Christopher Boone, is autistic. This feels like "a dream role" for Clarke, as he is also autistic. He says he spoke with Smith V. Brand Distinguished Professor of Theatre and Chair of Arts Administration Liz Metz before accepting the role to make sure he had earned the role through talent and not through circumstance. He says she assured him this was the case, which Clarke says made him feel like he had reached a new height in his acting career. 

"After eight years, all of the hard work comes to a head, and now I get to act out my dream role. I still can’t believe it," Clarke said. 

Clarke chose Knox based on his positive impression of the theatre department. One significant factor was the opportunity to participate in Repertory Theatre Term (Rep Term), the only theatre program of its kind in the United States, in which students engage in the academic study of theatre while also forming a repertory company that produces two fully staged productions.

"Being a part of a production that big will be amazing," Clarke said. "I can spend my time focusing on what matters most to me."

Clarke says one of his greatest skills is being able to memorize scripts extremely quickly. His typical process starts with reading the script and repeating each line seven times. The eighth reading confirms he has it locked into his memory. In the past, this was even easier, as smaller roles would only require up to 100 lines of memorization. Clarke says he has over 400 lines in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which has tested his abilities in ways he has never experienced before.

Clarke says that living with autism has led to many social difficulties, as he can be very socially awkward and miss social cues. However, when he’s acting, those troubles fall away. "I actually feel like I belong when I’m in a theatre space."

These difficulties helped Clarke relate to the character of Boone in new ways, as well. He says that he was struck by how Boone is portrayed in the script, and how the writers of the production gave Boone normal character traits like any other person. Boone’s autism is conveyed in a number of ways, including being stressed out by overstimulation. Still, Clarke says the heart of his character and the emotional change he experiences over the course of the story helps the audience to relate to the character. "His emotions are what make him human."

Clarke says that he’s felt a support system at Knox that has helped him be more confident around campus and in his acting. He says he has made friends at Knox who have helped him focus on his goals and overcome his challenges. While his upcoming role may be his biggest yet, it’s only the start of an illustrious career in theatre. "Knox is important to me. I’ve learned a lot and a lot of people have supported me,” he said. “They’ve taught me lessons on how to live my life better. Theatre is my life; it's the most important thing I have."