Karen L. Vicks

Ascension Galleries
Actor, Dialect Coach, Director, Film Festival Director, Makeup Artist, Performance Coach, Producer, Script Consultant, Stage Director, Theatre Director and Voice Artist

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Member Since:
August 2014

Last online:
> 2 weeks ago

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About Karen

Karen Vicks
wiremenrakit@
215.617.6609
215.424.1060

Karen Vicks has established herself as one of Philadelphia’s finest actors. She is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, Aftra, and Actors Equity. Karen was the Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Acting Studio and is now the Executive Director of Ascension Galleries where she provides private coaching to professional actors. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Arcadia University teaching Acting in TV and Film.
Karen has performed in almost every theatre in Philadelphia and has also performed on the west coast, Atlanta, Boston, New York and the Baltimore/DC area. Her distinctive voice has led Karen to perform professional script readings for the New City Stage Company in New York and the Philadelphia Film Office. Karen has studied with the Negro Ensemble Company in New York and she has been celebrated as a stage director. Karen was twice nominated for the Barrymore awards in Philadelphia as Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and the first runner-up for Philly Critic’s Choice Award as the best leading actress.
Karen has appeared on television in the Comedy Central television series “Broad City”, the HBO series “Veep” and had a recurring role in HBO's critically acclaimed series “The Wire". Some of her other movie credits include Bill Duke's daring independent film “Cover” , “In Her Shoes,” “Ladder 49,” “Beloved”, and “Loving”. Karen has performed in many other independent films as well. Karen’s most recent performance was as “Mama” (Lena Younger) in “A Raisin in the Sun” at the Triad Theatre in Greensboro NC.

Gender:
Female

Height:
5' 6"

Body type:
Average

Eyes:
Brown

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Credits

PROVIDENCE (2018)
Film (Drama) Actress Add a Plot »
Loving (2016)
Film (Biography, Drama and Romance) Actress The story of Richard and Mildred Loving, a couple whose arrest for interracial marriage in 1960s Virginia began a legal battle that would end with the Supreme Court's historic 1967 decision.
Finding America (2015)
Film (Short and Drama) Actress Finding America is a short narrative film about Desmond Manley, 18, who has just arrived from Jamaica and landed in Philadelphia on his way to find his family. He calls his brother Cliff, who comes to pick him up from the airport and they go and hang out together, bonding for the first time. During this adventure with his brother, Desmond makes friends, enemies, and is exposed to the underbelly of America. Written by Anonymous
Voiceless (2015)
Film (Drama and Thriller) Actress Jesse Dean is a recently discharged soldier who had a rough upbringing, but because of his wife, found God and now is totally devoted to his faith. He and wife move to Philadelphia so he can take a new job as an outreach leader at an old church whose membership has been declining. As everything is going well and as he starts connecting to the community, he discovers there's an abortion clinic directly across the street from the church. He goes to the pastor and to several others in the church and tries to get their help to no avail. One day something tragic and personal happens to him while he's going about his everyday routine. He comes to the point that he begins to take action himself. He gets involved but the more involved he gets, the more resistance he gets from those in church and community. His wife, who thinks his actions will get him fired or land him in jail, also comes against him. Finally, it comes down to him having to make a choice: is he going to take the easy way out ...
Veep (2015)
Television (Comedy) Actress "Politics is about people," former Sen. Selina Meyer is fond of saying. Unfortunately, the people Meyer, a charismatic leader and rising star in her party, meets after becoming vice president are nothing like she expected, but everything she was warned about. "Veep" follows the new VP as she puts out political fires, juggles her public schedule and private life, and does everything within her limited powers to improve her dysfunctional relationship with the chief executive. Meyer's trusted -- and some not-so-trusted -- aides include chief of staff Amy, spokesperson Mike, secretary Sue and right-hand man Gary. Written by Jwelch5742
Broad City (2015)
Television (Comedy) Actress Broad City follows two women throughout their daily lives in New York City, making the smallest and mundane events hysterical and disturbing to watch all at the same time.
Facing the Night (2014)
Film (Short and Fantasy) Actress One night, thirteen year old Jason, who never knew his father, is led into the dead of night by a mysterious figure and is forced to face his worst fears as he encounters a number of nightmarish events on his journey to become a man.
Clean Break (2014)
Film (Short, Comedy and Romance) Miscellaneous Crew A young man gets more than he bargained for when he tries to break up with his girlfriend.
Paranoia (2013)
Film (Drama and Thriller) Actress The high stakes thriller Paranoia takes us deep behind the scenes of global success to a deadly world of greed and deception. The two most powerful tech billionaires in the world (Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman) are bitter rivals with a complicated past who will stop at nothing to destroy each other. A young superstar (Liam Hemsworth), seduced by unlimited wealth and power falls between them, and becomes trapped in the middle of the twists and turns of their life-and-death game of corporate espionage. By the time he realizes his life is in danger, he is in far too deep and knows far too much for them to let him walk away. Written by Relativity Media
Cover (2007)
Film (Drama and Thriller) Actress When someone is murdered on New Year's Eve, the prime suspect is Valerie Maas, a church-going home-maker whose life unravels when she discovers that her husband of many years has been leading a double life. Her strength of character and faith keep her going as the revelation of her husband's betrayal threatens to destroy all that they have known. Written by Anonymous
The Wire (2006)
Television (Crime, Drama and Thriller) Actress Set in Baltimore, this show centers around the city's inner-city drug scene. It starts as mid-level drug dealer, D'Angelo Barksdale beats a murder rap. After a conversation with a judge, Det. James McNulty has been assigned to lead a joint homicide and narcotics team, in order to bring down drug kingpin Avon Barksdale. Avon Barksdale, accompanied by his right-hand man Stringer Bell, enforcer Wee-Bey and many lieutenants (including his own nephew, D'Angelo Barksdale), has to deal with law enforcement, informants in his own camp, and competition with a local rival, Omar, who's been robbing Barksdale's dealers and reselling the drugs. The supervisor of the investigation, Lt. Cedric Daniels, has to deal with his own problems, such as a corrupt bureaucracy, some of his detectives beating suspects, hard-headed but determined Det. McNulty, and a blackmailing deputy. The show depicts the lives of every part of the drug "food chain", from junkies to dealers, and from cops to politicians. Written by Yuri
In Her Shoes (2005)
Film (Comedy, Drama and Romance) Actress Two sisters, plus a dead mother, a remarried father, and a hostile step-mother. The sisters, each in her way, have perfected the art of losing. The elder, Rose, is an attorney, responsible, lonely, with a closet full of shoes. The younger is Maggie, beautiful, selfish, and irresponsible. Her drunken behavior gets her tossed by her step-mother from her dad's house; worse behavior gets her tossed from Rose's apartment. Then, while searching in her father's desk for money to filch, Maggie finds an address; the past and the future open up to her and, with any luck, may open to her sister as well. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
Ladder 49 (2004)
Film (Action, Drama and Thriller) Actress Under the watchful eye of his mentor Captain Mike Kennedy, probationary firefighter Jack Morrison matures into a seasoned veteran at a Baltimore fire station. Jack has reached a crossroads, however, as the sacrifices he's made have put him in harm's way innumerable times and significantly impacted his relationship with his wife and kids. Responding to the worst blaze in his career, he becomes trapped inside a 20-story building. And as he reflects on his life, now Deputy Chief Kennedy frantically coordinates the effort to save him.
Beloved (1998)
Film (Drama, History and Horror) Actress After Paul D. finds his old slave friend Sethe in Ohio and moves in with her and her daughter Denver, a strange girl comes along by the name of "Beloved". Sethe and Denver take her in and then strange things start to happen... Written by Jeremy Cohen <crashbug@ix.netcom.com>

View all 14 credits

Education

Penn State University
(1971-1975)
Negro Ensemble Co
(1971-1975)
Film/TV Master Workshop Mike Fenton
(1971-1975)
Stage/Film Master Class Anne Bogart – SITI Company Artistic Director
(1971-1975)