Quick Chat: Karen Janes Woditsch

From the Broadway Stage to beautiful APT woods, Karen Janes Woditsch has had a marvelous career as an actor. This year, Karen joins us in The Matchmaker and Uncle Vanya. Read on to learn more about Karen's career thus far, her favorite APT memories and the joy she finds from her characters this season!

APT: Hi Karen! How has your time at APT been so far this year?
Karen: As I said to a friend of mine; "Oof" and "Revelatory" are the two words that best express the time I've had so far at APT.

Oof, because of the hard/joyful work that everyone does here, and hiking up the hill for rehearsal's and shows. I keep thinking the hill is going to get easier to climb. Hasn't happened yet. Revelatory because I get to witness brilliant artistry and therefore want to add my best to the stew. And it's awfully nice to be surrounded by beauty while working.

APT: Indeed! We are so thankful you're here. Could you tell us a bit about what your career has looked like leading up to APT?
Karen: I started acting in Chicago after moving there from the University of Iowa. I did Non-equity theatre for about 10 years. Then I joined the Union and got my Equity card in 2000 at the Goodman Theatre, doing A Christmas Carol. I worked at Writers, Steppenwolf, Court, CST, TimeLine and Court Theatres, amongst others, off and on for 20 years. I performed a wonderful production of Pride and Prejudice at Northlight Theatre with the one and only Carey Cannon. I've also worked with a few other Core Company members on other shows in Chicago and spent a very memorable birthday seeing Comedy of Errors on the Hill. Following that, I did a show on Broadway and then moved to Wisconsin. I then did a couple of shows at Peninsula Players, where I’ve worked in 9 other seasons. APT was always on my Bucket List - and at last, here I am.

APT: What an incredible career you've had thus far! Tell us, what roles are you playing on the APT stage this season? Is there anything particular about these roles you enjoy?
Karen: I'm playing Gertrude and Flora Van Husen in The Matchmaker and Marina in Uncle Vanya. I love Gertrude's joy and goofy assuredness. I love Flora's need for and sense of Romance. Her belief that you cannot stand in the way of love but must foster it; even in her own slightly delusional way. And Flora's story comes with some bonus surprise moments that I don't think I should reveal. I adore Marina in Uncle Vanya. I am a quarter Russian and my Grandmother is very much with me in this role. Marina has been through trials and Serfdom and is at a time in her life when peace, calm, routine and prayer prevail. I get that.

APT: Those are some seriously contrasting characters! To prepare, what does your pre-show usually look like? Post-show?
Karen: Preshow is mostly about getting pins in my hair so Nora in the Hair and Makeup room can get my wigs on. Uncle Vanya includes a music call beforehand so I can hum a tune you hear at the end of the play while David Daniel plays guitar. Post-show for both plays is (after getting out of costume) taking all the pins out of my hair. Because my hair is short, I look like Einstein afterwards and have to tame it before leaving the dressing rooms.

APT: With a job like this, I'm sure you've had some pretty remarkable moments with castmates, in rehearsal and while performing. Do you have a favorite APT memory thus far?
Karen: Can I say 2? They are both repeating moments. 1. My entrance through the plants and flowers at the top of Uncle Vanya and that first quiet moment on stage. 2. Spontaneously a small group of actors backstage of The Matchmaker before the top of the show, start a little beat, and another person adds to it, and then another person and eventually a group of five or six of us are creating a tiny jam session. I love that.

APT: Joy radiates from these answers. I love THAT. Let's end with a fun one. Give me an example of a time you thought, "I can't believe this is my job."
Karen: I was backstage during The Matchmaker looking at the trees behind the theatre and getting this incredible smell off of the wildflowers, milkweed and grasses and thought "this is perfect".

APT: Ah, I can vividly see and smell exactly what you are describing. Karen, thank you so much!