KarenBerman

TheatreChair,Professor,andArtisticDirectorofTheatrePrograms

KarenBermanisexcitedtobehereatGeorgiaCollegeinherhomestateofGeorgia.Karenholdsa

BAinTheaterfromGeorgeWashingtonUniversity,anMFAinDirectingfromCatholicUniversityof

America,andreceivedherPh.D.inProfessionalStudiesinEducationwithadissertationon

CreativityandCognition.PriortocomingtoGCKarentaughtfor15yearsatGeorgetownUniversity

inWashington,D.C.whereshealsoservedasArtisticAdvisortofourStudentTheaterGroupsand

mentored150mainstagestudentdirectedprojects.

InApril2008KarenwasinductedintotheCollegeof

FellowsoftheAmericanTheatreattheJohnF.

KennedyCenterforthePerformingArtsin

Washington,D.C.andshewaselectedtoserveas

DeanoftheCollegefromApril2016toApril2018.

SheservedasPresidentoftheAssociationforTheatre

inHigherEducation(ATHE)from2004to2007.At

ATHEKarenbroughttogetherthenation'stheatre

organizationsinaSummitwhichresultedinthe

formationoftheCoalitionforTheatreEducationand

alsoinitiatedaKatrinaProject-Allianceformedby

ATHEandBlackTheatreNetworktosupport

devastatedNewOrleanshighschooldrama

programs.ShereceivedtheGovernor’sAwardforthe

ArtsonOctober3,2017presentedbyGeorgiaGovernorNathanDealandFirstLadySandraDealat

theStateCapital.

Karenisco-founderandArtisticDirectorofWashingtonWomeninTheatre(WWIT),atheatre

companyfoundedtogivevoicetowomenplaywrights,andwhichhasproducedattheMillennium

StageoftheKennedyCenterandtheNationalMuseumofWomenintheArts.WWITcelebratedits

15thyearin2017whenitpresentedafestivalofnewplays.

Karenhasdirectedover100productionsforvenuesrangingfromtheSmithsoniantooff-

Broadway.Heroff-Broadwaydirectingcreditsinclude,attheAmericanTheatreofActors,Ziggy

andBalletRusses,whichstarredTwylaTharpCompanymemberPetterJacobssonasNijinsky,and

MilledgevilleMemoirsanewplaybasedonoralhistoriesperformedbyGCstudentsoff-Broadway.

AtSourceTheatreinWashington,D.C.shedirectednumerousplays,includingCynthiaHeimel'sA

Girl'sGuidetoChaos.PriortocomingtoGC,KarendirectedmanyplaysintheWashington,D.C.

area,includingTonyKushner'snewadaptationofAnsky'sADybbuk,CatonaHotTinRoof,David

Mamet'sRevengeoftheSpacePandas,TheCountryWife,SamShepard'sChicago,herco-adaptation

ofRussellBaker'sGrowingUp,andthepremiereofPolkaDotConspiracy.Shehasassistedinthe

developmentofover40newplays.

KarenalsodirectednumerousuniversitytheatreproductionspriortocomingGeorgiaCollege,

includingWoyzeck,SixCharactersinSearchofanAuthor,Ah!Wilderness,TheGlassMenagerie,

TheBalconyandDr.KorczakandtheChildren.Herteachingareasoffocusincludeacting,Lessac

voice-movement,directing,andtheatreforsocialchange.Shepartneredwithhealtheducationand

sociologyfacultyinordertodevelopaplayinthelowestmedianincomehighschoolinWashington

DC.throughoralhistoryandethnography.HerkeynotespeechfortheAssociationofHispanic

ClassicalTheatre(AHCT)was"Translations,Transgressions,andReinterpretations:21stCentury

QuestionsRegardingZayas."

SincearrivingatGC,shehasdirectedCabaret,AStreetcarNamedDesire,Chicago,MuchAdoAbout

Nothing,TheBirds,Hamlet,Sueno,andTheRover.Inaddition,shedirectedandco-wroteaquartet

ofnewplays(TheVisionofČapek,TheWomenofHavelandKafka,TheFlightsofJanWiener,and

TheMysteryofMucha)aboutCzechheroesthatwereperformedbyGCstudentsinPragueandat

theinternationalTheatreEuropeanRegionsFestivalinHradacKrálové,CzechRepublicinthe

summersof2010,2012,2014,and2016.

Karenhasrecentlypublishedtwobookchapters.Thefirst,“TranslationsandTransgressions:

Twenty-FirstCenturyQuestionsRegardingZayas”waspublishedbyTamesisPressinMarch2015

inthebookRemakingtheComedia:SpanishClassicalTheatreinAdaptation.Thechapterdiscusses

heruniqueWashingtonWomeninTheatreproductionoftheSpanishGoldenAgecomedy

"FriendshipBetrayed"byMariadeZayasthatshedirectedinWashington,D.C.Thesecond,

“TransformativeEducationProcesses:DifficultDialoguesandGlobalCitizenry”waspublishedby

IntellectBooksintheUKandUniversityofChicagoPressintheUSinApril2016inthebookArts

IntegrationinEducation:TeachersandTeachingArtistsasAgentsofChange.Thebookchapter

discussesherworkontheatreforsocialchangeatbothGeorgiaCollegeandGeorgetown

University,includinghercommunityengagementworkandperformancesintheCzechRepublic.