Kevin Karplus's theater experience

(Last Update: 13:05 PDT 12 May 2025 )


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Motivation

Other than a little Commedia dell'Arte with the Society for Creative Anachronism in the 1980s, I only started acting in February 2023, after I retired from 39+ years of being a professor. From years of classroom teaching, I knew that I could fill a room with my voice and that I was comfortable in front of an audience without a script, but I had no idea whether I could act. I was looking for a social activity, and I had seen how much my son had enjoyed acting (his main hobby for over 20 years), so I thought I'd give it a try.

On-stage Performances

date(s) title producer director role(s)
11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 25, 26, 26, 27 Apr 2025 Fortinbras (Lee Blessing) Cabrillo College Robin Aronson Claudius
24, 25, 29 Mar; 3, 14, 16, 23, 29 Apr 2025 Telemarketer Torment (staged reading) NextStage Productions Sally Bookman Brian
24, 25 Mar; 3, 16, 29 Apr 2025 The Find (staged reading) NextStage Productions Sally Bookman Perry
25 Mar; 14, 23 Apr 2025 Miss You (David Austin) (staged reading) NextStage Productions Sally Bookman Man 1
22 Mar 2025 long-form improv show Good Enough! improv Lauren Owen and Casey Robinson
9, 10, 11, 12 May 2024 Harmony in Hollywood Cabrillo Performing Arts Collective David Hamilton The Producer Ralph Bennett
1 May 2024 Water Conversations (staged reading) ENVS course Riley Hartmann Sahara parent, San Francisco engineer
20, 23 Mar; 6, 14, 15 Apr 2024 Such a Good Listener (staged reading) NextStage Productions Sally Bookman Pauly
20, 23, 25 Mar; 6, 10, 13, 14, 15, 24 Apr 2024 Check Please (staged reading) NextStage Productions Sally Bookman Guy, Matt
20, 21, 26, 27 Jan; 1, 3, 4, 9, 10, 15, 17, 18 Feb 2024 The Artist (in 8 tens @8, Part 2) Actors' Theatre Evan Hunt Harper
21, 23, 28 Apr; 12, 26 May; 2, 16 Jun; 21 Jul 2023 Emotional Baggage (staged reading) NextStage Productions Sally Bookman Rollo
21, 23 Apr; 6, 12 May; 2, 6 Jun; 21 Jul 2023 The Ferris Wheel (staged reading) NextStage Productions Sally Bookman John

On-camera and voice performances

date(s) title producer director role(s)
20 Oct 2024–present WeAudition reader
13 Dec 2025 Coriolanus—"My Name is Caius Martius" (voice only) Such Stuff as Scenes are Made On (podcast) Alex Benarzi myself, Coriolanus
25 Feb 2024 Romeo and Juliet (voice only) Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Jamie Kelly, Alex Benarzi Abram, Paris
7 Dec 2023–30 Jan 2024 Robotastic books (voice only) narrator and all characters
11 Jan 2024 The Sandwich UCSC Film 196B Sebastian J. Salazar Wizard (supporting)

Table Reads

Table reads are unrehearsed readings of the script, often interspersed with directors' or dramaturges' notes and repeating parts of scenes after the notes. The Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre and Bard's Inn reads on Discord are straight through with minimal notes with fixed casting, generally with first-come-first-served assignment of parts, sometimes aided by PlayerPart to cluster roles. The reads labeled "Of" are on Google Meet with one other actor, with parts assigned dynamically (sometimes even switching mid-scene, if there are more than 2 characters). The other table reads are broken up over several days, often with different casting on different days. The Santa Cruz Shakespeare table reads are fundraisers, with those reading giving more than those just listening. The Saturday Shakespeare group has an hour of scholarly lecture/discussion, followed by an hour of reading for 4 weeks, followed by a viewing of a video of a performance on the fifth week.

date(s) title producer director role(s)
12 May 2025 Animals Out of Paper by Rajiv Joseph Of alternating: Ilana, Andy, Suresh
11 May 2025 Troilus and Cressida Bard's Inn Ulysses, Alexander, Thersites, Cassandra
26 Apr; 3, 10 May 2025 Midsummer Night's Dream Saturday Shakespeare (Aptos) First Fairy 2.2, Bottom 3.1, Puck 3.2 & 4.1, Theseus 4.1
7 May 2025 Tape by José Rivera Of Attendant
7 May 2025 Beauty by Jane Martin Of Carla
7 May 2025 Gruesome Playground Injuries by Rajiv Joseph Of alternately Doug and Kayleen
4 May 2025 All's Well That Ends Well Bard's Inn Lafew, King, First Soldier
2 May 2025 Misreadings by Neena Beber Of Ruth
2 May 2025 Trying to Find Chinatown by David Henry Hwang Of Benjamin
2 May 2025 Forty-minute Finish by Jerome Hairston Of Ike
30 Apr & 2 May 2025 Closer by Patrick Marber Of All 4 roles in different scenes
24 Apr 2025 Visiting Mr. Green by Jeff Baron Of Ross Gardiner (Act 1), Mr. Green (Act 2)
11 Apr 2025 Sex with Strangers by Laura Eason Of Olivia
6 Apr 2025 All's Well That Ends Well Bard's Inn Lafew, King, First Soldier, Diana
3 Apr 2025 Matt & Ben by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers (2 hours) Of Matt
30 Mar 2025 Timon of Athens (3 hours) Bard's Inn Apemantus, Second Senator, Lucius' Man, First Stranger, Servant, First Friend, Caphis, Cupid, Fourth Senator, Jeweler, Lucilius, Second Bandit, Second Servant, Soldier, Third Senator, Third Servant, Varro's Second Man, Ventidius
12 & 13 Mar 2025 Last of the Red Hot Lovers Bard's Inn Barney
23 Feb & 9 Mar 2025 Richard III Bard's Inn Buckingham, Archbishop, Brackenbury, 2nd Messenger, Blunt, Ghost of Henry, Ghosts of Princes
22 Feb 2025 Much Ado About Nothing (3 hours) Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Leonato, Don John, Seacoal
2&16 Feb 2025 Cymbeline Bard's Inn Queen (through III.4), Iachimo, Messenger, Arviragus, Lord, 2nd Captain, 1st Brother, stage directions
9 Feb 2025 The Worker (Walter Wykes) Bard's Inn Messenger, stage directions
11 Jan–8 Feb 2025 Timon of Athens (11 hours) Saturday Shakespeare (Aptos) Timon 1.1, 1.2, 4.3 (201–), Isidore's Man, Lucullus, Sempronius, Varro's 1st man, 2nd Senator 3.5, 1st Friend, 1st Servant, Soldier 5.3, First Senator 5.4
26 Jan 2025 Merry Wives of Windsor, Acts IV and V Bard's Inn Ford, Fenton, stage directions
9 Nov 2024 Macbeth (2.5 hours) Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Malcolm, 1st Witch, Angus 2nd Murderer, 2nd Apparition, Lady MacDuff, Gentlewoman, Lennox (Act V only), Young Siward
12 Oct–2 Nov 2024 Much Ado About Nothing (11 hours) Saturday Shakespeare (Aptos) Don Pedro 2.3, 3.2, 4.1 Beatrice 3.4, Borachio 4.2
9–23 Oct 2024 Midsumer Night's Dream (10 hours) Santa Cruz Shakespeare Alicia Gibson Peter Quince 1.2, Demetrius 3.2 (45–180), Puck 3.2 (418–492), Flute 4.2&5.1
5 Oct 2024 Julius Caesar (2.5 hours) Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Cassius
21 Sep 2024 Midsummer Night's Dream (2.75 hours) Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Bottom
7 Sep 2024 Titus Andronicus (2.5 hours) Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Aaron, Lavinia, Martius, First Goth
22 Jul 2024 Most Seeming Virtuous Queen (Langman) (2 hours) Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Hamlet
29 Jun 2024 Apartment 3R (Zirolli) 1 hour Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Lion
29 Jun 2024 The Bear (Chekhov) (45 min) Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Grigori Stepanovich Smirnov
1 Jun 2024 Richard II (3.5 hours) Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Gaunt, Mowbray, Aumerle, 2nd Herald, Green, Ross, Man, Exton, Keeper
26 Apr–18 May 2024 Hamlet (11 hours) Saturday Shakespeare (Aptos) 1.2 Hamlet, 2.1 Polonius, 3.2 Hamlet (through the Mousetrap) 5.1 Claudius, 5.2 Osric
20 Apr 2024 Hamlet (4.5 hours) Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Claudius, Gravedigger
6–20 Mar 2024 As You Like It (10 hours) Santa Cruz Shakespeare Rebecca Clark 1.1 Oliver, 2.1 First Lord, 2.7(—line 80) Jaques, 4.2 First Lord, 4.3 Silvius, 5.4 Duke Senior
9 Mar 2024 The Frogs (2 hours) Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Dionysus
2 Mar 2024 Measure for Measure (3 hours) Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Angelo, Abhorson
20 Feb 2024 The Bear (Chekhov) Cabrillo Theater Arts 31 Grigori Stepanovich Smirnov
20 Jan–17 Feb 2024 Pericles (10.5 hours) Saturday Shakespeare (Aptos) Pericles, 1st sailor, 2nd sailor, 2nd gentleman, Cerimon, Boult, Helicanus, Gower
13 Jan 2024 The Lion in Winter (James Goldman) (4 hours) Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Richard, stage directions
7–10 Jan 2024 Henry VI Part 2 (5 hours) Shakespeare 2024 (Discord) Gloucester, 2nd petitioner, Horner, 1st Gentleman, Iden, Clerk, Saye, Clifford, York, Bevis, Brother, Messenger, 1st Citizen
6 Jan 2024 Becket: or the Honour of God (Jean Anouilh) Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Becket
1–3 Jan 2024 Henry VI Part 1 (6 hours) Shakespeare 2024 (Discord) Gloucester, Exeter, Porter, Charles, Warwick, Scout, 3rd Servingman, Porter
9 Dec 2023 Twelfth Night Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Malvolio, Sebastian, Servant
2 Dec 2023 Three Sisters Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre Chebutykin, Ferapont
11 Oct 2023–25 Oct 2023 Hamlet (10 hours) Santa Cruz Shakespeare Charles Pasternak 1.2, 1.3 Polonius; 3.3 Claudius; 5.3 Gravedigger
7 Oct 2023–4 Nov 2023 As You Like It (11 hours) Saturday Shakespeare (Aptos) Jaques, Touchstone
22 Apr–20 May 2023 King Lear (11 hours) Saturday Shakespeare (Aptos) Burgundy, Edgar, Fool

Audition Monologs

I have recorded some practice monologues at https://tinyurl.com/Kevin-Karplus-monologues. Constructive feedback in the YouTube comments (or via email) is welcome!

Classes