Karen Bassett, a Halifax artist, writer, director, and improvisational comedian, has been appointed as the second Artist in Residence at First Baptist Church Halifax. During 2009 she will work with the staff and congregation in a variety of ways and settings, using her extensive experience and skill to enhance our congregational life and our liturgy. Not only will Karen be performing in our midst, but she will also be creating theatrical capacity in us.

The Artist in Residence program was originally proposed by our late Director of Music, Allen Wayte. Joel Tranquilla, a local musician, was the first person to hold the post. Joel created a number of musical events, participated in several Jazz Vespers, and led a highly successful production of Godspell in March 2008.

Funding for the first Artist in Residence came from the Garnet and Linda Colwell Memorial Endowment Fund. The financial success of the Godspell production provided support for the Artist in Residence program to continue.

Karen Bassett - 2009 Artist in Residence

An actor, writer, director, and improvisational comedian, Karen has worked in professional theatre for the past fourteen years. She is an ongoing artist with the physical theatre company the Irondale Ensemble Project. Irondale’s focus on combining theatre with social justice has brought her into contact with many diverse communities as an actor, writer, director, and facilitator. In these capacities she has created theatre with many organizations including M.I.S.A (the New Canadian experience), Bryony House (healthy relationships) Cancer Care Nova Scotia (communication in health care), and Choices (recreation for adolescents with addictions). This sampling is "the tip of the iceberg" in terms of the many amazing groups she has collaborated with to explore issues through theatre.

Karen has taught theatre for students from primary to high school. Last year she directed Citadel High’s first musical, West Side Story. Additionally, she has taught theatre for HRM, the High School Drama Festival, Neptune Theatre, the Liverpool International Theatre Festival, Perform Nova Scotia, and the Dalhousie Department of Theatre. She currently teaches communication skills in the Dalhousie School of Medicine.

As an actor she has performed for Neptune Theatre, Eastern Front Theatre, Manitoba Theatre Centre, Ship’s Company Theatre, Chester Playhouse, 2B Theatre, and Mulgrave Road Theatre. Karen has been nominated for two Nova Scotia theatre awards: for play writing (Thrive) and acting (By the Dark of the Moon). She has also written plays and monologues for conferences, most recently a piece for the Family S.O.S awards and The Nova Scotia Caregivers Association.

As an improviser, she has played many roles: from client simulations for companies, to stage performance with comedy group The Improv Knights.

Her professional affiliations include two performance unions: (ACTRA and EQUITY), and PARC (Playwright’s Atlantic Resource Centre) where she is a board volunteer.

Through many years of theatre experiences, Karen has discovered that every project offers something unique. This has allowed her to have insight into a project approach, as well as offer her various tools from her "theatre tool box" to bring it to fruition.