Karen Webster Member Emeritus

Artist Profile

Karen Webster (1952 – 2021)  was an integral artist and friend of Chance Theater since her first production in 2001, serving as a Chance Resident Artist from 2003 to 2021 and was one of the original members of the Artistic Council. Past Chance Theater credits include Little Women, Trail of Tears, Spring’s Awakening, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Love’s Hollow, The Cherry Orchard, The Diary of Anne Frank (Back Stage Critic’s Pick; OC Register’s Best Ensembles of 2005), A Christmas Story, Hot N Throbbing (Garland Award Honorable Mention- Best Ensemble), Coyote On A Fence (Back Stage Critic’s Pick; Chancie Award-Best Supporting Actress), Frozen (Garland Award Honorable Mention- Best Performance in a straight play), Variations On A ThemeThe Best, Rabbit Hole (Back Stage Critic’s Pick, Garland Award Honorable Mention-Best Ensemble), the 2009 production of Jesus Hates Me (Outstanding Achievement by a Featured Actress, StageSceneLA), The Seagull, the 2010 re-mounting of Jesus Hates Me (at South Coast Repertory), Welcome Home Jenny Sutter, The Goat or Who is Sylvia (L.A. Times Critic’s Choice, Back Stage Critic’s Pick), Superheroine Monologues, Reborning (Back Stage Critic’s Pick), Passion Play, After The Revolution, Hairspray, The Big Meal, Middletown, and Good People (Ovation Recommended, Chancie Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor as Dottie), and the workshop productions of House of Several Stories, The Cripple of Inishmaan, and Collected Stories. She also stage managed Chance’s Never In My Lifetime (Back Stage Critic’s Pick). Outside of the Chance she practiced full time as a Dental Hygienist, a forty three year career which began after graduating with a B.S. in Dental Hygiene from USC. She always professed her pride at being Mom to Bryan and Andy, and Grandma to Olivia Rose and Jake.

Productions at Chance Theater

Production Date Role
Good People April 2018 Dottie
Middletown April 2017 Librarian, Tourist, Doctor
The Big Meal April 2016 Woman 1
Hairspray July 2015 Female Authority Figure
After The Revolution April 2015 Mel
Passion Play April 2014 Queen/Hitler/Reagan
The Laramie Project & Ten Years Later April 2013 Amanda Gronich
Up September 2012 Aunt Chris
Reborning April 2012 Emily
The Superheroine Monologues April 2011 Older Wonder Woman
Edward Albee’s The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? September 2010 Stevie
Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter April 2010 Cheryl
Jesus Hates Me February 2010 Annie
The Seagull September 2009 Arkadina
Jesus Hates Me January 2009 Annie
Rabbit Hole May 2008 Nat
Assassins February 2008 Board Op
Variations on a Theme: The Best November 2007 Janet / TV Commentator / Stacey / Anya Stone / Joyce
Frozen May 2007 Nancy Shirley
Coyote on a Fence August 2006 Shawna DuChamps
Never In My Lifetime May 2006 Stage Manager
Hot ‘N’ Throbbing February 2006 Charlene
A Christmas Story November 2005 Mother
The Diary of Anne Frank March 2005 Mrs. Van Daan
The Cherry Orchard January 2004 Liubov Ranyevskaya
Spring’s Awakening June 2003 Mrs. Gabor
A Midsummer Night’s Dream May 2003 Hippolyta
Trail of Tears August 2002 Tamara
Little Women November 2001 Marmee