Meet Douglas Clarke

We had the good fortune of connecting with Douglas Clarke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Douglas, how do you think about risk?
I view risks as leaps into the unknown. Even if a general goal is the purpose and driver behind a decision, the fear I may feel that turns the decision into a risk inherently indicates the discomfort that the unknown of that decision brings. When thinking about growth and expansion, I understand that if I’m only recreating experiences that I’ve had in the past, though it may feel comfortable, I am severely limiting what new knowledge I will be able to acquire. Therefore, when I feel a decision I’m about to make carries with it a high risk, I am careful to reduce or eliminate any specific expectations I may have about its result. That allows me to step into the unknown with an open mind, confident that with any result the risk brings, I will learn a tremendous amount from the novel experience. I then use that perspective to alchemize the fear I feel into excitement and anticipation for the expansion that I am about to experience.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a child I thought that I wasn’t an artist because I couldn’t draw. However, music meant everything to me and my walkman never left my side. I never felt like I fit in with the other kids at school, but my heart would feel full when I listened to the hardcore punk and dark wave cassettes that I’d dubbed from my older sister’s record collection. As I got to high school I saw other misfits expressing themselves through the arts of music and video and I decided that I’d like to participate. I found myself immediately able to create and quickly found that if I just opened my heart, so much of myself that was desperate to be heard and understood would just pour out. I soon realized that it did not even matter which medium I utilized. Whether it be music, video, photography, or even improvised comedy; creating came with ease and gave me an outlet for all that I was feeling that didn’t relate to others around me in a normal context. I started a band and music became my most natural and primary vehicle, but as I got to college and beyond, video and photography offered me alternative channels of creation. Through my experience I slowly developed a philosophy of what I call the “Secret Language of Art”. In most cases I feel that when an artist creates, they are communicating something from their emotional being. This, by nature, is a fully abstract language, and the logical part of one’s being does need to play a part to put some form around it, and that completes the artistic expression. The mix of abstract emotion and logical form varies from art piece to piece, but I see it as two layers working in succession. The emotion fuels the form as the artist creates and the consumer of the art observes the form, and in doing so unpacks the abstract emotional core. At that point, something extremely vulnerable and indescribable is shared between the artist and the consumer of that art. The emotional expression communicated may then find a varying range of resonance in the consumer of the art. The beautiful thing about this is that art then becomes a language that transcends any logical limitation. It can transcend time, location, or any need for common understanding. With this understanding, I trust that if I can be at my most vulnerable and open-hearted when creating, the fuel that powers the form that is the container for that expression will resonate strongly with those who can emotionally relate to the kinds of feelings I have felt, even if the context and reasons for our feeling those feelings are completely unrelated. With my very first play Soulmate, which I wrote, directed, and composed, performed, and recorded all of the music for, I expressed myself at my most vulnerable (after having been laid off of my job that I loved after 10 years, while at the same time having my beloved girlfriend of 7 years break up with me) in one of the most literal forms; actual words and actions, reinforced by a very expressive score. The feedback I received from every audience member I talked to after they witnessed the play was that they felt deeply touched, and shared stories and experiences of their own where what they felt in those moments resonated to the feelings that came up while watching the play. It has all been extraordinarily fulfilling and I’m very excited to now be able to bring the play to larger audiences as an Off-Broadway production in New York City. Soulmate opens April 19th at the Actors’ Temple Theatre in the theater district of Manhattan.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Los Angeles has the most diverse and unbounded collection of restaurants, things to do, nature to explore, and art to experience; I do love hosting visiting friends and sharing all that the area has to offer. One evening would absolutely need to have us dress our best to start the outing at Yamashiro for drinks; the views of the building, the curated grounds, and Hollywood below are unreal. We would then head down the hill to spend the rest of the evening at the Magic Castle, home of the Academy of Magical Arts for a full evening of magic performance, food, and drinks. This is a little tricky because it is a members-only club but fortunately I have been an associate (meaning non-magician) member since 2019. As a member I have unlimited access and bring guests very regularly. A night at the Magic Castle quickly becomes everyone’s favorite night as the performers, mansion, and all contained within are unforgettable. While on the subject of nightlife, I will always keep an eye on listings for the many unique performing arts that are on offer at any particular time. Los Angeles is ground zero for creative DIY shows, fueled by a concept and a vision. The best of the best is Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre in North Hollywood. If a show is happening there, I take people to see it; and each time they report that the experience is unlike anything they’ve ever seen or felt. I regularly check the Fever and Dice apps, We Like LA listings, and NOHO Arts District site to see all of the current listings. With the amount of talent that LA houses, it is rare that the performing arts disappoint. I am also a huge fan of immersive theater and may check out what WUBB Media or JFI productions (home of CreepLA), has to offer, as well as the wealth of smaller indie producers. For me, the more contact and interaction involved in the immersive performance, the better. For bars, I enjoy the Hollywood scene, from Bar Sinister for my goth and dark wave fix, to the chill home-like and backyard environment of Good Times at Davey Waynes. As far as restaurants go, I would take advantage of the many international cuisines available. I’d take friends to one of my favorite big-platter Mexican spots, Ernie’s Tacos in North Hollywood, or the incomparable gourmet Chinese cuisine of Bistro Na in Temple City, or the impossibly fresh fish available at Sushi Iroha in Studio City. Growing up with my Armenian mother, who is also an excellent cook, I always must take my friends and loved ones to Elena’s Greek Armenian Restaurant in Glendale to feast on the most tender and seasoned kabobs, addictive side dishes, and beautiful salads. Unreal. Bollywood Cafe is one of the best kept Indian food secrets in Studio City, and no trip would be complete without some of the exceptional Korean BBQ offered in K-Town. Museums during the day are a must and the Getty Villa is at the top of my list (I’m so happy that it survived the fires) as well as the Academy of Motion Pictures Museum, which pairs with a day at the entire LACMA and La Brea Tarpits complex. Lastly, I would be sure to make time for hiking. My favorite spots are those overlooking Malibu like the Zuma Canyon trail, and the many trails found in the San Gabriel mountains. I am always sure to bring my cat Cider hiking as well as he really enjoys climbing and looking down on landscapes from high elevations.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Having moved to Los Angeles in 2015 to start my dream job in audio technology development, I spent several years working hard in the office while the part of me that loved performing my own expressive and original music, which I had spent most of my life doing in both the San Francisco bay area and NYC, laid dormant. In January of 2023 I received an introduction to Zombie Joe, the owner and lead producer of his own theater, Zombie Joe’s Underground. I had started seeing some incredible boundary-pushing performances at ZJU and felt compelled to explore a collaboration where my music could possibly complement their performances. Zombie Joe, who leads with emotion, passion, heart, and 35 years of experience felt something significant from me and immediately gave me the responsibility of writing and performing the entire soundtrack to his annual 50-hour play festival, entitled the “Drive-by”. I gladly rose to the challenge and in just a few hours (as is the nature of a 50 hour festival), wrote 7 music cues that either were contained within, or bookended the plays written in the preceding 24 hours, as well as performed them live. From that moment on, I became part of the family that is the Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group, and since then Zombie Joe and his partner and lead director, Denise Devin, have mentored me in every aspect of theater. To my surprise, they saw in me an acting ability that they encouraged, fostered, and directed. Since that first meeting, I have been involved in ten Zombie Joe’s Underground productions. In most of them I have acted, in a few I was cast as the lead actor, but I have also directed, run tech, and provided music. When I was laid off from my job in August of 2024, I told Zombie I had an idea for my own play and if I wrote it and composed all of the music for it, could we put it up at the theater. He said yes without hesitation and in that very moment we set January 10th, 2025 as the opening night. With that, Soulmate was born. Since then Zombie Joe and Denise Devin have given me the most immense resources, guidance, and trust; making Soulmate a sold-out success in its first run, giving us an equally successful extension, and now together, we are bringing the show to the Off-Broadway theater, the Actors Temple in New York City; opening April 19th, 2025. I would also like to recognize Shannon Wong. Shannon is my closest friend and for whom I wrote Soulmate. When she saw me perform in Zombie Joe’s signature show “Urban Death: Tour of Terror” in October of 2023, she was deeply impressed and shared with me her secret desires to one day perform on the theater stage, not only as an actress but as a singer. When she told me that, visions of Soulmate’s opening and closing scenes came to my imagination and I told her I would write something for her. She has been my muse, the show’s star, and was also able to contribute artistically by writing her own vocal melodies and lyrics for the show. She is also now leading all art direction for marketing and promotion for our New York City run. She is my dream partner in friendship, creativity, and business and inspires me each and every day.

Image Credits
Main Image with cat by Patrick Strattner (IG @patrick.strattner.photography), Portrait by Bruce Rodela (IG @brucerodela), Soulmate phone Image by Douglas Clarke, Soulmate LA Poster painted by Douglas Clarke, Soulmate NYC Poster designed by Shannon Wong (IG @littlewonton) with artwork by Muse Hedonic (IG @musehedonic), Toxic Vampyre cast and Exorcism of Sophia Grace promo courtesy of Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group (IG @zombiejoes).