Building Empathy Through Art
What drives me to make theater is its unique ability to strengthen our collective empathy muscle. Stories remind us of our common humanity. They help folks connect emotionally with characters who audience members might have thought they had nothing in common with. This teaches audiences to emphasize with others more, inspiring more goodwill toward others.
Theater’s focus on choices, turning points, and their repercussions inspire audiences to make the most of each moment in order to prevent a dream deferred. Take that risk or you’ll regret it. Have that hard conversation instead of wondering what if. Tell that person how much they mean to you while you still can.
Let’s make art that inspires.
About Me
Kara is a multi-hyphenate artist based in West Rockingham County, Virginia.
Originally from Connecticut, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts with an Acting Focus from Pace University’s New York City Campus. Kara produced and starred in Three Tall Women by Edward Albee for her B.A. honors thesis project. Kara spent 12 years living in New York. During that time, she co-produced and starred in Almost Happy by Jacob Marx Rice, studied improv and sketch writing at The Upright Citizen’s Brigade (UCB), and collaborated on 5+ plays with Theater in Asylum.
After realizing her desire to direct, teach, and potentially start her own theater company, Kara continued her education at Mary Baldwin University (MBU) in Staunton, Virginia, which has a partnership with The American Shakespeare Center (ASC). She earned her Master of Letters (M.LITT) in Shakespeare and Performance in May 2022 after successfully defending her thesis ‘Bi Possi-Bi-Litites: A Bi Reading of As You Like It and Twelfth Night.’ She expects to earn her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Shakespeare and Performance in May 2023 after defending her thesis which focuses on the productivity of play in the character-building process.
Currently, Kara is a proud ensemble member of Treehouse Shakespeare Ensemble while she works towards earning her MFA at MBU. Kara enjoys passionate nerdy discussions, cuddling her two rescue cats, and dreams of making theater with new friends while finding time for rest and recreation.
