Interview: Susan Clausen of DONNA ORBITS THE MOON at Scripps Ranch Theatre

Donna's a devoted mother, a bake-sale legend, and possibly a little untethered from Earth. “Donna Orbits the Moon”, written by Ian August and directed by Kandace Crystal, is Scripps Ranch Theatre’s funny, tender one-woman exploration of grief, anger, Apollo 11, and the quiet heroics of baked goods. Anchoring this journey is Susan Clausen, who brings Donna’s warmth, humor, and unraveling inner orbit vividly to life. We’re delighted to sit down with Susan to talk about stepping into Donna’s universe—one brave, honest moment at a time.

Donna is a character who appears outwardly “together,” yet internally she’s orbiting grief, anger, and confusion. As an actor, how do you balance Donna’s warmth and humor with the quieter, more unsettling truths beneath the surface?

As an actor, I find Donna's warmth and humor coupled with unsettling truths to be wonderfully human. I think that balance of outwardly together and inwardly struggling is a tightrope that we all walk at some point - myself included. So when approaching Donna's character, I knew that all of those truths can exist at the same time. It became a matter of exploring how Donna carries them all simultaneously - and what that looks like for her.

This production revisits a piece Scripps Ranch Theatre previously explored as a filmed reading during Covid. How has your understanding of Donna changed since then, and what feels different about embodying her in a fully staged, live production now?

Having the time to really dive into Donna's story in a full rehearsal period has given us more time to humanize the character of Donna. I think the more time you spend stepping into a character's story, the easier it becomes to really understand their experience from their point of view. Ultimately, I think that is one of the most important things about storytelling. Watching someone who may be very different from you experiencing things you can relate to - in this case, family, community, humor, loss - and understanding that they may have different capacities and methods of handling things. I think recognizing your own experience in someone else's - and seeing how they may navigate it differently is an important part of finding common ground. 

Donna Orbits the Moon weaves together deeply personal trauma with unexpected elements like Apollo 11 and baked goods. What do those seemingly ordinary or whimsical details unlock for you in telling Donna’s story?

When I meet people - either in real life, or getting to know a character in a script - I often find the most interesting thing about them are their "quirks." The things about them - the passions they have, the way they relate to others, the way they adapt - that may look a little different than others. Those unexpected elements - the quirks of Donna's life and personality  - are very real and important to her. They also ultimately support the way she gets through trauma. With humor, love....AND Apollo 11 and baked goods :)

As a one-woman show, the audience is with you—and only you—for the entire journey. What are the unique challenges and freedoms of carrying a story like this alone onstage?  And what has it been like working with your director, Kandace Crystal, on all of this?

I've never done a one-woman play before - and it truly is one of the hardest and most fulfilling things I've ever done. Usually, there are other actors to balance the storytelling in a play - and that balance becomes a sort of organic game of catch you explore with others. Doing it by yourself forces you to really climb inside the story and catch yourself. I find that to be a very vulnerable feeling - both scary and exciting. I'm lucky to have such a talented director in Kandace Crystal, who is crucial in harnessing that vulnerability and guiding it into the storytelling. I'm a big fan of Kandace's and an admirer of her work. A one-person show definitely requires a trust and collaborative spirit between the actor and director. Kandace brought wonderful perspective and insight to the rehearsal process. In addition to her work across the community as a director - she performed in a one woman show herself (Neat at SRT in 2023) and is an Intimacy professional. So she approached this show wearing a lot of different hats - and was fantastic at making sure there is a comfort level throughout the process. Creating that trust allowed me to feel comfortable to explore.

The play ultimately asks Donna—and the audience—to take a brave step toward acknowledgment and healing.  What do you hope audiences carry with them after spending time in Donna’s orbit?

On an immediate level, I want them to enjoy the humor. The story definitely addresses the need for healing, and the story is also filled with laughter. I think the two are important to carry together, and humor has long been my favorite way to navigate the difficult parts of life. Donna also gets where she needs to be with the help of family and friends who love her and stand beside her. We all need that, and I'd love for audiences to carry that away from Donna. 

How To Get Tickets

You can see Susan as Donna in “Donna Orbits the Moon”at Scripps Ranch Theatre through February 15th.  For ticket and showtime information, go to www.scrippsranchtheatre.org