2nd Story: Storytellers: K

Susan McLaughlin Karp

Susan McLaughlin Karp began her professional life as an actor, which led to improv, which somehow led to marriage, which absolutely led to pregnancy, which led to writing, which led to solo performance, which led to co-founding The Uptown Writer’s Space. Susan is a regular contributor to Chicago Public Radio's Writers Block Party and a member of the performance collective BoyGirlBoyGirl. Her monologues have been performed at Live Bait Theater and Steppenwolf Theatre and her critically acclaimed solo show Still was part of the New York Fringe Festival in 2002. Susan likes dogs… a little too much.

Sara Kerastas

Guest Director 2008 // Sara Kerastas won a Bachelor of Arts in English-Drama & Theatre and Women’s Studies from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. She has worked across Canada with Pi Theatre and The Havanna in Vancouver, F4L Productions in Halifax and Théâtre Ste. Catherine in Montreal. At heart, she is still a wannabe Canadian. Currently in Chicago, she associate produces, contributes to and directs for The Callback with Strawdog Theatre and is on the planning committee for DirectorsLabChicago. She can be seen directing, writing and performing around Chicago and is thrilled to be working with 2nd Story peeps.

Larry Kerns

Lawrence Kerns is a writer and a child psychiatrist who set out one summer to build a replica of Thoreau’s cabin…with his four teenage children…in his own backyard. Needless to say, it did not go well. The teenagers were recalcitrant, the weather was fickle, and building a simple cabin turned out to be very complicated. As for Thoreau’s directions, they were more metaphorical than real. Dr. Kerns is glad to be a part of the 2nd Story Festival so that he can tell somebody what really happened.

Katie Klemme

Guest Director 2008 // Katie Klemme is pleased to be working on 2nd Story for the first time. Having worked as a director, stage manager, and /or producer for over 40 productions in Chicago, recent directing credits include Philip Dawkins' Saguaro (Estrogen Fest 2007 & 16th St Theatre, Berwyn) and The Visit at Loyola University Chicago, where she is a part time faculty member in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts. Other recent forays include Rabbit Hole (Stage Manager, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble) and work with Pegasus Players, where she was Managing Director from 2004-2007. She holds degrees in Theatre and Management from Loyola University Chicago.