Larisa West
Actress - Improvisor - Collaborator
Actress - Improvisor - Collaborator
I’m an actress, improviser, and director based in the charming town of Staunton, Virginia. I am deeply passionate about movement, improv, and Shakespeare. My theater journey began with Commedia Dell’Arte, where I fell in love with clowning and bardic performance.
I hold a B.S. in Marketing and a B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Pittsburgh. Currently, I am pursuing MLitt and MFA degrees in Shakespeare and Performance at Mary Baldwin University.
When I’m not on stage or in class, I enjoy visiting Renaissance fairs and diving into fantasy novels!
Currently, I am in the second year of my Master of Letters program, immersing myself in my thesis titled "Masks in the Mirror: Commedia Dell’arte and the Physical Life of Shakespeare Performance."
Alongside this, I am involved in a production of The City Wit, a 17th-century city comedy by Richard Brome, in which I am cast in the role of Rufflit.
Acting Fellow (u/s) at the The American Shakespeare Center's Fall 2025-2026 season: Romeo and Juliet, Two Gentleman of Verona and The Pirate Ballad of Bonny and Read
Larisa West at the American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Playhouse