Volunteer Profile:
Karen Robinet – Lifetime Member
Karen has been involved with Theatre Kent off and on since its inception. Her parents were also involved with the group in the beginning and her mother, Anna Baker was in TK’s very first production, “You Can’t Take It With You.” In 1985, she acted as assistant director on “South Pacific,” and then stage managed a couple of shows before taking on her first directorial role with Neil Simon’s “I Ought To Be In Pictures,” where she learned that everything and anything can happen, losing a key actor just a couple of weeks before the show was to open. But, as it always does, the show did go on!
After taking a break for work and child-rearing, Karen came back to TK with a vengeance in 2001, appearing in “Annie” and becoming involved on the board of directors. In 2003, she wrote the one act play, “My Sister’s Face,” about conjoined twins, which was produced as part of an evening of words and music. In 2009, she wrote her first full-length play, the comedy “Caught In The Acts,” which was performed at the Kiwanis Theatre, and followed up with a sequel, “Swashbuckled,” four years later. She also wrote “War Finds A Way: Fairfield 1813,” which was performed at the Capitol Theatre as part of Chatham-Kent’s War of 1812 commemoration.
Over the years, Karen has directed over a dozen plays, often stepping in when other directors either couldn’t be found or had to drop out, but her favourite shows have been the ones she’s chosen herself. Highlights include directing “Bent,” which was produced as part of a Fringe-type festival and which allowed the company to do something a little more outside its comfort zone, as well as “The Crucible,” which once again proved that everything and anything can happen. In this instance, during the first few minutes of the show being performed as part of the Western Ontario Drama League Festival, a key actor literally vomited on stage. But, in true TK style, another actor – in character cleaned up the mess and all actors continued on as if nothing had happened! And, while she prefers to direct non-musicals, Karen has directed three: “A Wonderful Life,” “Sound Of Music” and “Oliver!”
She also enjoys acting and has appeared in a number of shows, and has also produced, worked backstage in costumes, set décor and publicity. As first a journalist and now a member of the marketing team with PRIDE Seeds, writing press releases and designing posters is pretty much second nature for Karen, who was also responsible for TK’s first website, getting the group into the wacky world of social media, and filming videos to promote shows, beginning in 2007 with a video for “The Crucible.”
Proving that theatre is indeed in the blood, both of Karen’s sons have had their turns on the TK stage, but son Cade has truly embraced theatre and is a proud third generation TKer.
Karen is a lifetime member of Theatre Kent and has been a board member numerous times over the years, and as board chair, presided over the difficult period in the group’s history when its long-time building was lost to the group and a couple of nomadic years were spent in alternate venues before a permanent location was once again found.
“Being a member of Theatre Kent has been and will always be an important part of my life,” Karen says, “and that’s because of the many wonderful friends I have made over the years.”
“Being part of Theatre Kent is like being part of a large, extended family, and yes, we may have our differences every now and again, but what family doesn’t?!”