
CLARISSA RAI

ABOUT ME
Clarissa Rai is a multi-hyphenate producer and artist raised as a military brat in several international communities.
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A Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, she graduated from Ohio University's MFA Acting Program, where she served as the Co-Executive Producer at Vibrancy Theater. Her current creative positions are as Creative Producer at Tantrum East, Creative Director at Cacao Drama Alliance and a founding member of an emerging Producer Collective.

Upcoming Work...
My Fat, Black Pussycat
My Fat, Black Pussycat investigates the impact of stigma on those who exist in fat, black, and feminine bodies. Stereotypes such as the Mammy and the Sapphire both desexualize and hypersexualize black women. Still, in either iteration, society does not identify us as humans who have emotional and physical needs that should be met. In conjunction with the casual racism black, indigenous, and people of color consistently receive, fat black women also feel the weight of societal beauty standards. Standards they often do not meet. My Fat, Black Pussycat will, with the use of poetry, photography, and cinematography, delve into my own experience and trauma surrounding these issues –in particular, sex and sexuality, body image, and self-esteem.
