Karen Kessler is a proud member of the ensemble of A Red Orchid Theatre where she just completed the Midwest premier of Louis Slotin Sonata and previously directed the Midwest premier of Pumpgirl by Irish playwright Abbie Spallen, the Chicago premier of Sarah Kane’s Blasted; the US premier of Gagarin’s Way by Gregory Burke (a play that won an After Dark award for Outstanding Ensemble) and the Midwest premier of Mr. Kolpert by David Gieselmann. Last summer she directed the world premiere of Rob Kuzlaric’s new adaptation of The Three Musketeers at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. Other Chicago credits include: Collaboraction’s Sketchbook 2009 – Who Put the Dead Bird in My Mailbox? by Sarah Hammond; the US Premier of Roddy Doyle’s War for Seanachai Theatre; A Going Concern, This Lime Tree Bower, Remembrance, A Mislaid Heaven, and the award winning Early and Often for Famous Door; the Midwest premier of Sam Shepard’s The God of Hell at the Next Theatre; The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek, Wrens, Hamlet and Cyrano de Bergerac for Rivendell Theatre; and the Midwest premier of Steve Martin’s The Underpants for Noble Fool Productions. Credits outside of Chicago include: Glengarry Glen Ross for the Northern Stage Ensemble in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England; Macbeth for the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival; Measure for Measure for Connecticut Repertory Theatre; Scapin, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, and All’s Well That Ends Well at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival; and The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Complete History of American (Abridged) for Idaho Repertory Theatre. Karen teaches directing, acting and Shakespeare at Ball State University.Specialties: Directing: new plays, Shakespeare, dark comedies.Teaching: all levels of directing, Shakespeare, all levels of acting