KAREN WITH A "K"

In KAREN WITH A "K," longtime collaborators KELLY SILLIMAN and CAT WAGNER take on the mythology of the “Karen” persona and its increasingly ubiquitous use as a social meme. “Karen” has become a commonplace, pejorative term for white women who seem entitled beyond reason and who may also weaponize their privilege within certain contexts. In their new dance play, Silliman and Wagner utilize “iconic” Karen moments from the years 2020 and 2021 as a way to examine how racism and misogyny intersect in contemporary culture. They believe humor can offer opportunities to build tolerance for the messiness and discomfort inherent in personal growth, and also that self-reflection must be matched by thoughtful action.  

CAT WAGNER and KELLY SILLIMAN  have been been collaborating since 2013, shortly after they both graduated from the Smith College MFA program in Choreography and Performance. They create dance plays to explore contemporary feminism, intersectional identities, and American pop culture in playful, absurdist ways. Cat Wagner is the dance instructor at Stoneleigh-Burnham School in Greenfield, MA. Kelly Silliman is the Program Director at the Northampton Center for the Arts, and a core collaborator with Deborah Goffe/Scapegoat Garden. Kelly was also the founder/director of the tinydance project from 2012-2022.

@k.silliman.dance / @catato316

Photo by Paul Bloomfield