As a writer, I feel it is a privilege to tell the stories of people's lives and show their deepest struggles as well as their greatest triumphs. I strive to engage the audience with my writing, provoke thought about the world around us, and create a new narrative through characters with agency who do not fall into the standard conventions of the past.

                                                  ~ Karen Cecilia

Karen Cecilia’s work has been seen in NYC at 3LD, La Mama, HERE Arts Center, Dixon Place, Theater For The New City, Theatre Odyssey, Sarasota FL, The Coalescence Theatre, Illinois and The Firehouse Theatre, Richmond, VA and Jermyn Street Theater, London England. She is member of the Playwright/Directors Workshop at The Actors Studio, NYC. Her play Ivy Walls was one of four finalists and produced at the Second Annual Theatre Odyssey One Act Play Festival and has received Top Finalist Honors for the 2019 Ivoryton Women Playwright’s Initiative.

Perfectly Normal (previously named Mea Culpa) was chosen for the #Shepersisted festival in Bloomington, Illinois and received Semi-Finalist award from The Orlando Shakespeare Theater in 2019. Play Workshops: The Cry Havoc Theatre Company and IVP Productions. She was the winner of the Walter Prichard Eaton Prize for Playwriting Excellence from Hunter College in 2014. She was a co-screenwriter on Daughters of Solanas produced by The Women’s Weekend Film Challenge ‘19. Karen has been a frequent guest speaking about theatre and playwriting on several writer/theater podcasts.

Karen has an MFA in Playwriting from The Actors Studio Drama School. She is a member of the the Playwright/Directors Workshop at The Actors Studio in NYC, The Dramatists Guild of America and served on The Board of Directors for The League Of Professional Theater Women in 2022. Publications: 100 MONOLOGUES FROM NEW PLAYS 2020 -- WOMEN   Limelight Editions/The Applause Acting Series. “Zaza” Monologue from STRIKE: All Women Stand United and The Best Women’s Stage Monologues 2023- Perfectly Normal monologue. 

In addition to her playwriting career, Karen founded a theatre company The Call Theatre in 2021 that hosted local events that supports community and the arts.

All this experience has led to her to directing videos and returning to playing music as a theremin player where she had a role in COMPOSITE, a short film.

She started her theatrical career at an early age. Born in New Jersey, she grew up studying various styles of dance with a strong focus on ballet. As a teen, she performed in The Nutcracker for several years with The New Jersey Dance Theatre Guild. After moving to New York City at a young age, she continued her studies in acting, dance and voice. Throughout those years, she began her playwriting career.

Karen has taught creative writing workshops in New York City, Denver, CO, China, Athens, Greece, London, England and Glasgow, Scotland.

She continues to teach theater and writing at several colleges across New Jersey and New York City.

She is available for playwriting workshops. Contact: thecalltheatre@gmail.com