On Stage

⋆ Acting & Performance ⋆

On Stage ⋆ Acting & Performance ⋆

  • Shari Caplan looks at the camera, smiling in a welcoming way. She wears a red silk shirt and black blazer and sits on a red velvet chair in front of a black background.

  • Shari Caplan, a brunette woman, sits forward in her chair, with her hands pressed together in a prayer-like position, held against her chin, as she thinks, like a director about to share their thoughts on a scene.

“There is another world, and it is in this one.” - Paul Eluard

Shari is driven by the spark a truthful live performance can ignite in those gathered to share an experience. As an actor, poet, and community organizer, she seeks to reinvigorate our collective imaginative potential and to diversify our tapestry of voices in order to create a more thoughtful, loving, and regenerative world.

The Poetry Brothel

The Poetry Brothel

Shari Caplan, a Boston-based artist, sits in a chair in front of a black wall. She's wearing a red silk dress, a black blazer, black tights, and a voluminous red feather boa. She gazes knowingly at the camera, inviting the viewer in.

In her incarnation as Madam Betty BOOM, Shari combines her passions for theater and poetry! Discover an immersive literary cabaret fusing poetry, activism, vaudeville, burlesque, circus, mysticism, and more. Founded in NYC by The Poetry Society of New York with chapters all over the world!

Shari reads “Baudelaire’s Lover.” Video by Beren Jones.

Shari is a dynamic performer and vivacious reader who has read at the NYC Poetry Fest, the Massachusetts Poetry Festival, AWP, The Boston Poetry Marathon, Siren by Kelly McFarland, and more. Book her for readings, workshops, or performances to add meaning and sparkle to your endeavor!

  • "Shari Caplan is one of the most talented actors I’ve had the pleasure of working with. She has the consistent ability to elevate what’s written on the page to create characters that are three-dimensional, vibrant, and nuanced (even when that character is a puppet)."

    Anthony Scibelli, comedian & writer

  • Shari is an incredibly gifted actor and storyteller with great emotional intelligence and access. She is a generous collaborator and colleague who brings warmth, humor, specificity, and a sharp wit to her carefully-crafted roles. Her sense of play and freedom on stage is electric. A dream actor for a director to work with and an audience to watch.

    R. Lee Kratzer, director and professor