Recommendation Letters | Corporate Comedy | College Comedy

Karen Talks / Lecture & Motivational Series
Green Room Talks | American Woman | Body Comedy | Is This Thing On? | One Voice

**The Talks will be geared specifically to the Corporate Sector and or to the individual Company, Conference or Event.

Green Room Talks

International comedian, actor and award winning writer Karen Loftus, a one-woman tour de force, is a University of Maryland grad, a Tennessee William's Fellowship recipient, an interdisciplinary comic and activist who has successfully combined theatre, women's studies, sociology and business in her career and in her art.

In the spirit of the entrepreneur, Karen has her own production company Goddess Productions . She handles her own booking, production, promotion and publicity. She has produced her own plays “I'm Not The Blonde You Think I Am”, “Barbie's Dolls”, “It's Man's, Mans, Man's, Man World, “The Color of My Dreams” , and her most recent show, “ American Woman.” Her work has been produced in NY, LA, throughout the US and around the world, storming with critics and crowds alike.

As a writer she just completed her first book , “The Land of Misfit Toys” and is now finishing her second book , “American Woman, Comedic Travels in Search of Serious Self” and has several TV projects in development.

Karen will talk about the business side of a creative life and how to sell yourself and your art without selling out or selling your soul.

Green Room Talks is a fun, informative and entertaining evening. Karen has the stories to tell and the pearls of wisdom to pass on. She will tell tales, give tips and tools and read excerpts from her book, “ The Land of Misfit Toys”, the true LA story. Come out for the fun and the facts. Karen and her route are non-traditional. She's a true Maverick having taken her own path. After this evening, you will to.

A multimedia event with slides and video , Q & A to follow.

“American Woman” is a character based edgy journey around the world in which Karen takes the audience along for the rocky ride as she travels throughout the US, Europe, Asia and The Middle East humorously exploring her label in the world “American Woman”. Playing with stereotypes, her own and others she makes fun of us making fun of each other. “ American Woman” is a provocative, poignant and timely piece for anyone with a sense of humor, a sense of adventure and a sense of personal history.

American Woman opened in March '01 at The Singapore Comedy Festival, the only female comedian in the festival. The press went crazy! She was a phenomenon, pushing the envelope where there wasn't one. In Kuala Lumpur, she stormed, striking a chord and a nerve. A media outcry and her ban followed her departure.

The show is always changing as Karen's new travels add new twists and turns to the story. The changing state of the world too has caused change in the story and in the show's reception. It was a completely different experience going to a Muslim country after September 11 th than it was before. She was warned not to go and if so, told to keep a low profile. That's hard to do with billboards in Bali.

In the height of the anti- American sentiment around the world, Karen was put on trial by the media, asked to defend herself and her show at a media roundtable, The Roundtable Rumbles. That's where real drama was played out.

Karen will share her not to be believed series of surreal stories both on and off the stage of how her solo comedy show “American Woman” was developed, where it has played and how it was received around the world. She will show clips of the show, media clips and read excerpts from her book , “American Woman, Comedic Travels In Search of Serious Self”, her four year journey around the world, exploring gender politics, cross cultural politics, the media and her own politics.

This is an exciting, engaging and hilarious evening for anyone with a sense of humor, a sense of adventure and a sense of personal history. Listen to an American Woman with a universal voice. This is an evening not to be missed, as this is story unlike ay other!

A multimedia event with slides and video clips. Q & A to follow.

Bringing Commercial Art Into the Community

Body Comedy is a class where the funny gets physical. It's an original, transformational class developed by international comedian Karen Loftus. Using humor to heal, Body Comedy is a unique blend of yoga, mediation, visualization, clown and improvisation exercises. Karen helps the participants to get out of their heads and into their bodies, bringing them back to a childlike state of joy, to a state of “le jeu”.

Initially, Karen's main focus had been working with women and children, anyone who has experienced abuse on the body, be it physical, sexual, with the abuse of drugs and alcohol or with disease. She's worked with teen prostitutes rescued off the street, kids in juvenile halls, teens in psyche wards, women, breast cancer survivors, women in detox centers, abuse victims hiding out in the woods and with the female prison population.

After years of working with abuse survivors, she jumped at the opportunity to work with domestic violence perpetrators, male inmates in the LA jail. It was a program specifically designed to rehabilitate the inmates. It's a very successful program the number one of its kind in the country. They were not keen on bringing a woman on. A year and a half and a lot of letters later, she was finally allowed in to the program.

Karen and her work with Body Comedy have been featured all over the press. She was called a “Woman to Watch” in MS Magazine for her work with teen prostitutes and “A Rebel with a Cause” by CNBC for her work with domestic violence survivors and in several other media outlets.

Karen had no idea what she was getting herself into as she “fell” into Body Comedy and found a passion. She will tell personal stories theirs and hers and read letters and feedback from the participants. She will talk about how the program developed, how she is now taking it on the road internationally and how she is now in development on a show based on this work and her experiences with it.

This is a must hear hilarious, heart warming, intriguing and inspirational evening.

This is an interactive, multi-media event where Karen will bring audience members up on stage to do some Body Comedy . Music, slides & video included.

Q & A to follow.

Karen will share the many challenges that came with comedy on a creative and business level. She will share her difficulties in finding her true comedic voice, how she had to throw ego to the wind and start over in a new city and in a new creative medium. What was so natural for her in theatre, appeared to be unattainable on a comedy stage. Was it possible to bring those layers of her plays into her comedy act? Does it really take five years on a comedy stage to find your voice? Ho do you know if you have it? How do you know if comedy is for you? Who do you trust yourself, your audience or others? How managers, bookers and even other comedians will try to change or silence your voice.

Are women funny? Can we get past the face and the figure and on to the funny? Is it possible to be fiercely feminine and fiercely funny? Do you have to talk like a girl and dress like a boy to be heard as a woman? What challenges do you face as a female? She will tell you how to get over them and into to your act.

She will take you behind the scenes of the, the good, the bad and the VERY UGLY of the comedian's journey in NY, LA, the road, London and the international circuit. This evening is filled with tales and tips. She will share tips on setting up and running a comedy room and how to get booked.

This is an interactive evening where students will be given writing tasks during the talk. They will learn joke and story structure and the many styles of stand up. Are you a storyteller, a joke teller, a character act, a versatile comedian with several characters inside, alternative, mainstream or the next new wave of comedy? Are you quick? Can you think on your feet or do you stick to the script? Come out and to find out the facts and your comedic fate.

A few students will be brought up to perform. Karen will coach them and their act. All will leave with a toolbox of comedic thought, skills and insight. You will have tools to assist you in finding your voice and to hone your comedy skills on the stage and on the page. Tools in comedy are applicable to all facets of writing. No matter what your medium, you will walk out a better writer and performer.

Be the first to hear and to experience. Come out for the Horror and the Hilarity as Karen bears all! These are lessons lived and learned. Finding your voice on stage is about finding your voice in life. Once found, no one can take it away from you. Comedy, whether you want it as a career or not, is for anyone who wants to figure out who they are. It's for those that want to step up and stand up to the mic and in life.

This is a truly inspirational evening for anyone with an interest in comedy and writing and a desire for a challenge and an adventure.

Q & A to follow.

One Voice is a creative workshop designed to help you find your voice. Award winning writer, solo artist, performer and international comedian Karen Loftus will share her tips and tools for writing, creating and living life.

Karen was awarded the first Tennessee William's Fellowship for the development of her solo show , “I'm Not The Blonde You Think I Am”. “Blonde” was chosen to open the Tennessee William's Center in Tennessee . “Blonde” is Karen's story, her journey about finding her voice. The story is told in both written and physical form.

Karen will read excerpts from “Blonde” and form other works. She will talk about how the shows were developed and where the inspiration came from.

Karen will help you start and keep a creative and writing ritual, ways in which to keep your voice alive, whether it is being heard by others or not. She will guide you in using your life, to tell your story, be it autobiographical or in fictional form. It's a well of information and an endless source of inspiration. Pay attention to your life and to the characters all around you. This and many other tips and tools will be shared. The many forms of writing, be it a play, a solo show, stand up, a TV show, a film, short story and monologue will all be explored. Come prepared to write and express.

Listen up! This is an evening for all creative types with something to say!

Bring a notebook or laptop. Q & A to follow.