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Karen Gray is a comedy writer and performer,
but is generally considered a bad driver (too slow) and
not much of a cook either. Karen is a 2003
recipient of a Fellowship from the Pennsylvania
Council on the Arts. Her
one-woman shows, including "Eleven Ex-Boyfriends Defend Their
Actions" have been touring in the mid-Atlantic region, most
recently at Theatre Project in Baltimore. She has also showcased
her work at national and regional forums. She has performed
with international touring artists such as comedian Robert
Klein and comedy folksinger Christine Lavin, and recently performed
in the program, “Shopping Around,” for the PBS affiliate
station WITF-TV. Her
hobbies include losing earrings and switching long-distance carriers. |
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THE BALTIMORE SUN
One-woman show mines humor of sex, politics
‘Monogamy’ is topical ointment
for what ails you
By J. Wynn Rousuck
Sun Theatre Critic
You do what you can in this life. You work with what there is,” concludes one of five characters Karen Gray portrays in The Modified Monogamy Project, her one-woman show about sex and politics.
For Nelson Ruggles, a Republican municipal candidate revealed to be cheating on his wife, working “with what there is” means running on the “pro-adultery” ticket.
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Karen Gray as
Singing Messenger of Doom in Eleven Ex-Boyfriends Defend Their Actions |
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Karen Gray as
Tika Wynette
(the world's foremost
country-western
belly dancer)
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Eleven Ex-Boyfriends Defend Their Actions. Multi-character, multi-media combination of confession, character monologue and comedy that traces the author/performer’s personal relationships with men and her attempt to evaluate them and herself. Gray performs 17 characters in all, interspersing lively, raucous dialogue with her own observations. Adult themes and language. Running time: Two acts, 45 min. each
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The Modified Monogamy Project. Multi-character farce about an unapologetically chauvinistic, womanizing candidate for township supervisor, his wife, girlfriend, daughter and a wannabee documentary filmmaker who is drawn into their dysfunction. “Gray’s portrayal of interacting characters is a joy to behold,” wrote The Baltimore Sun about this show. Adult themes and language. Running time: One hour and 25 minutes
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Comedy Medley. Karen provides a stand-up comedy routine laced with visits from favorite relatives and other crazy characters, including some who sing and dance to outrageous song parodies. This routine can be tailored to corporate, adult, women’s and other audiences and can serve as an opening act or featured performance.
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Comedy Writing Workshop – Description/Promo
“Comedy Is Serious Stuff”
You just said something funny. Somebody laughed and said, “Geez that’s funny! You oughta write that down!” Felt good, didn’t it? How’d that happen? Why does it happen? How can you make it happen again – and not just in the privacy of your own home or in the company of friends? In her two-day comedy writing workshop, “Comedy is Serious Stuff,” solo writer/performer Karen Gray leads participants on an exploration of the serious thematic underpinnings of humor. Drawing on her own experiences in standup comedy, improv, theatre and as a professional writer, Gray helps participants begin to identify, develop and express their unique individual subject matter and voice. Discussion of all genres written and/or performed will be welcomed and encouraged based on needs and levels of experience of the individuals in the group.
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For his mistress, Frederika, it means milking her brief flicker of fame. And for frustrated filmmaker Kip Hartwinkle, it means making a documentary about Frederika as "a woman wronged," at the same time that he'sserving as Nelson's media consultant.
In a climate in which political issues are often overshadowed by the attention paid to personalities and personal scandals, Gray offers the satirical suggestion that politicians use their peccadilloes to their advantage. So, instead of dropping out of the race after scandal threatens to derail his campaign, Nelson launches "The Modified Monogamy Movement," which proclaims that men, like dogs, should be free to stray "from tree to tree." Meanwhile, Frederika is not only planning to star in a documentary titled Deceived by Deception, but she also announces to anyone who'll listen: "This is America, the land of opportunity, and somebody owes me something!"
Gray's subject matter is certainly topical in an election year, and her Lily Tomlin-esque character transformations add zing to this latest offering at the Theatre Project (where she last appeared in 2002 in a show called 11 Ex-Boyfriends Defend Their Actions).
Designer Kent Goetz's set for The Modified Monogamy Project features an American flag and white picket fence (all that's missing from this Americana display is an apple pie). Capping each of the fence's newel posts is a wig stand, and what Gray does with wigs is a comic delight.
In the funniest moments, the wigs become the characters themselves. For a phone conversation between Kip and Frederika, for example, Gray dons a tweed cap to portray Kip and holds the phone up to Frederika's disembodied red wig to suggest her end of the conversation. Later, when Nelson Ruggles' wife.
Nedra, pays an unexpected visit to his office, she is portrayed by a disembodied blond wig - an image that's all the funnier when the interlude takes a salacious turn. Nedra, a woman who emulates Ladybird Johnson and claims most politicians marry above their stations, turns out to be delectably subversive. The show's fifth character, Nedra and Nelson's oddly disturbed 9-year-old daughter, however, brings a note of poignance to the proceedings, serving as a sad reminder of the impact that the misbehavior of adults can have on their children.
Gray has come up with some witty soundbites ("Sex accusations are the terrorist bomb of politics," Nelson says at one point). And under Clair Myers' direction, the way this solo actress portrays interacting characters is a joy to behold.
The show isn't flawless. A section, for instance, in which filmmaker Kip re-enacts his firing from Ken Burns' Civil War series goes on too long. But for the most part, The Modified Monogamy Project is a winning ticket. |
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