2nd Story: Storytellers: K

Jessica Kadish

Jessica Kadish has worked as an actor, director, dramaturg, teaching artist and translator (not necessarily in that order, but she likes to alphabetize things) here in Chicago, with companies such as Agujión Theater, Collaboraction, Erasing the Distance, and Prop Thtr. She graduated from the University of Chicago this June with a BA in Theater and Performance Studies, and now that the U of C is no longer sucking up all of her writing energy, maybe she’ll even start writing her own stuff again. Surrounded by 2nd Story’s creativity, she figures it’s only a matter of time before that happens.

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.

Nick Kawahara

Nick Kawahara hails from an unusual collection of places around the US, and his interests cross the creative gamut similarly. You might find him working with visual artists on community murals, producing audio for this Serendipity Theatre Collective, and sometimes even producing publishable writing. He's a recent grad of Columbia College Chicago with a degree in Audio Arts and Fiction Writing, hoping to work and stay in the city, creating at least...something sustainable.

Brendan Kelly

Brendan first came to 2nd Story as a fan and then as a student participant in the pilot 101 class. The day before he was invited to share his story as part of a full 2nd Story production his talent agent broke up with him saying “the relationship was not mutually beneficial.” In the interest of re-submitting to be possibly represented in the future, Brendan will refrain from using this forum to malign said agent. Had the call from 2nd story not come a mere 24 hours later, though, he certainly wouldn’t feel as vindicated as he does. He thanks 2nd Story for resuscitating his wounded ego and allowing him the opportunity to diversify.

Patrick Kelly

Guest Director // Patrick Michael Kelly is thrilled to make his Chicago directing debut with 2nd Story. Patrick came to Chicago in 2007 from Columbia, SC after earning a BA in Theater from the University of South Carolina. Patrick’s directing credits include productions at Trustus Theatre in Columbia, SC, where he was also a company member, and the USC Lab Theatre. As an actor, Patrick has appeared at La MaMa E.T.C. Off Broadway in New York, the DCA Storefront Theatre with WNEP Theater here in Chicago, the Arundel Barn Playhouse in Kennebunkport, Maine and Trustus Theatre to name a few. Patrick would like to thank 2nd Story and Serendipity Theatre Collective for this opportunity, his family and friends for their support and you for coming here tonight.

Lauren Kelly-Jones

Lauren Kelly-Jones is an English, Australian and American confusion who also happens to be a second-year student at the University of Chicago, where she majors in Law, Letters and Society and secretly signs up for creative writing classes. After arriving in Chicago a year ago, she has written for Newcity and the London Telegraph. She can also be found on and around the stage, and was the English-accented Texan in her University Theatre's production of The Rose Tattoo.

Sara Kerastas

Associate Artistic Director, Curator // Sara Kerastas is a director, writer and performer who loves her some storytelling! She has directed across Canada with Pi Theatre, The Havanna, Le Cagibi, F4L Productions, and Théâtre Ste. Catherine. She received her BA in English-Drama & Theatre and Women’s Studies from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. In Chicago, she has worked with About Face, Strawdog, The Plagiarists, Theatre Seven, New Leaf, Redmoon, and DirectorsLabChicago, among others. Sara no longer has a po-mo swoop...but she can tell a great story about it!

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.

Kareem Khubchandani

Kareem moved to Chicago in 2008 to begin a Ph.D. program in Performance Studies at Northwestern University. Committed to both theory and practice, Kareem is interested in the experiences of queer South Asians living in the diaspora, and the ways in which they employ performance as a means of negotiating socio-political identity. In the last year, Kareem has titillated audiences at The Homo Show (About Face Theater), VOR8 (Old Town School of Folk Music), Jai Ho! (Big Chicks), Entertaining Julia (Town Hall Pub); he also adapted and performed a solo show, "Material Boy" (Northwestern Theater and Interpretation Centre).

Nicolette Kittinger

Nicolette Kittinger is a writer, editor, freelancer, and Assistant Producer of Windy City Story Slam, which she represented at Opium Magazine’s Literary Death Match Chicago Ep. 2. in May, 2009. She didn’t win, but judge T.J. Jagodowski said, "Her story was like a toy gun where you pull the trigger, and out comes a BANG flag, then seconds later, out comes a real bullet!" She’s currently part of the editorial staff at Avery: An Anthology of New Fiction and a Creative Writing MFA candidate at Columbia College Chicago.

Katie Klemme

Guest Director // 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.

Laura Krughoff

Laura Krughoff is a writer whose fiction has appeared in The Washington Square Review, The Chicago Tribune, The Threepenny Review, and the Pushcart Prize Anthology, among other journals and magazines. She has taught fiction writing at Loyola University Chicago since 2005 and is currently a PhD student in the Program for Writers at UIC.

Maria Kulp

Maria spends her time working on a dissertation and thinking about ethics. Although 2nd Story is her first real venture into the creative writing and performance world, she harbors not-so-secret desire to write romance novels and dress in crushed velvet ensembles that smell of Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds.