Karen Getz
Karen Getz is a three-time Barrymore Award winning Philadelphia-based theater artist. She most recently received a 2009/2010 Philadelphia Theatre Initiative Grant in support of her upcoming comic-actors’ ballet, a new work which explores the beauty of human imperfection through the behaviors of artificially intelligent robots. Most recent work includes Gwendolyn in Cecily and Gwendolyn’s Fantastical Balloon Ride- a completely improvised, two-person, Victorian-time-traveling-extravaganza, Safta in the Philadelphia Premiere of Milk and Honey for Young Playwrights, Diane in Flashpoint Theatre’s production of The Little Dog Laughed, choreography for R & J at The Arden and choreography for the world premieres of Cherry Bomb and Why I’m Scared of Dance at 1812 Productions. She is a 2005/2006 recipient of a Philadelphia Theatre Initiative Grant and a 2006 Independence Fellowship in support of Suburban Love Songs, her first comic-actors’ ballet, which premiered at the 2006 Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and was remounted by 1812 Productions. (Winner of 3 Barrymore Awards; best choreography, best ensemble and best sound design.) Disco Descending, her spandex-clad, Orpheus- inspired, sequel to Suburban Love Songs, opened The 2008 Philadelphia Live Arts Festival. She won a Barrymore Award for best choreography for her work on Hair at The Prince Music Theater and has choreographed over 50 productions in The Philadelphia Theater Community where she has also garnered Barrymore nominations for her work with The Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival, Act II Playhouse and 1812. She is a proud member of the thriving Philadelphia Improv scene and is the co-creator (with Kelly Jennings) of the on-going Cecily and Gwendolyn’s Fantastical…. She has been a company member of Comedysportz Philly for the past 14 years and was a 12-year member of Lunchlady Doris, formerly Philadelphia’s oldest and most revered long-form company. She was the Co-Producing Artistic Director of Tapestry Theater, a company dedicated to creating and supporting the work of female theater artists and former producers of The Annual Female Funnyfest, a national festival dedicating to presenting pioneering work by funny women. She teaches improv, dance and acting in Philadelphia and created the experiential math program, Geometry Through Choreography for The Lower Merion School District. She’s been a choreographer, assistant choreographer, actor or dancer on over 20 major films and television shows, including her work as dancer and dance captain on the movie Dirty Dancing. She is also the voice of Dotty and others on the radio shows, The Many Men of Martha Manning and The Adventures of Martha and Dotty.