I first met Karen in 2016 when she saw me perform at the Dragon Theatre in Redwood City. She sought me out after to introduce herself and praised my performance, which truly meant the world to me. Her becoming my mentor organically blossomed from there, and we have maintained a wonderful relationship ever since. I have been so lucky and so honored to be directed by her many times in our almost 10 years of friendship! Karen came into my life when I had lost a lot of confidence in myself as an actress. I had just graduated high school and was having a difficult time transitioning into my college theatre program at San Diego State University. She truly knew how to inspire me, encourage me, and build me back up as a performer. I will be forever grateful for that. I really don't know where I would be today without her guidance and belief in me. After doing one show with her as my director, I really saw the growth in myself as an actress. I continue to grow and learn with every show we do together and from every conversation we have. I went from wanting to drop out of college to being a top theatre graduate of SDSU, studying at Shakespeare's Globe in London and now being a successful working actress in Los Angeles. So much of this is due to her influence on me as a director, a mentor and a friend. Karen is the most generous, kind and motivated person I have ever had the privilege of working with and her empathy shines through in everything she does,.  She has a rich depth of knowledge and experience as an educator and theatre professional which is extremely evident in her work. As a director, she creates a safe and collaborative space for others while still being excited about her own process. She is proactive and tenacious while still maintaining a youthful spirit in everything she does.  I feel this is her unique superpower when it comes to her art. At her core, she is a true storyteller in every sense of the word and anyone would be extremely lucky to work with her. 

                                                                ANNIE KLUPS

                                                                LOS ANGELES