We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Karissa Barber a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Karissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

The first paycheck I received felt like validation for all of the years of hard work. My first professional contract after college was singing with OperaTampa at the Straz Center in their production of “La Boheme” with 2,000 in attendance each performance. Even though I ultimately decided that I preferred musical theatre over opera, it was an extraordinary experience and provided my first professional credit on my resume.

Karissa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Karissa Barber, an actress, director, playwright and theatre-maker living in Central Florida with my husband and four children. I grew up all over the United States and always found a home on the stage. After high school graduation, I moved with my family to Germany and had the privledge to work and act in a dinner theatre. After three years, I returned to the states to get my degree in international studies and theatre from Southeastern University.

I began performing professionally after college in theatre, film and as an emcee for conferences throughout the United States. I have had the priveledge to win a few awards for my acting, one in Orlando for my role in Garden Theatre’s production of “Miracle on 34th Street” and one in Tampa for my role in The Tampa Repertory Theatre’s production of “Silent Sky,” As my kids got older, I transitioned from performing to playwrighting and produced my original show “Masterwork” in 2016 for a little mini tour in central Florida.

Now I am the directing associate at Polk State and the theatre operations & production manager at Florida Southern College. I freelance direct throughout central Florida and have passed on my love of acting through my private acting studio, teaching acting online for kids in the film industry and faciliting acting classes for adults with disabilities.

My directing style is focused on creating a collaborative, trauma-informed, consent-based environment, valuing the process over the product so that we create a more sustainable theatre practice for all of the artists involved. My certifications & training include artistic mental health coordination, mental health first aid, suicide prevention, bystander intervention, allyship/anti-racist workplaces, intimacy coordination and culturally responsive pedagogy. None of that is theatre related, but it informs the kind of theatre artists I am.

And my most exciting news right now is that in May 2024 I will graduate with her MFA in directing and performance pedagogy from University of Idaho!

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

As a theatre maker, I strive to lift up marginalized voices. Traditionally theatre has been written and produced by white men, providing the backdrop for the theatre canon that is drawn from in theatres across the country. While those shows are nostalgic and have value in their own right as important works of art, I find myself drawn to works written by women and the global majority. Their stories are new, engaging and provocative in a new way and I am excited to be a part of elevating these stories in theatre spaces.

Have you ever had to pivot?

For 8 years I was the primary care-giver for our four children. During that time, any career advances I wanted were on the backburner as I invested in our family. I took various jobs that fit my family’s schedules and our financial needs, but they did not necessarily push my career as a theatre maker forward. That time away from the industry has made me a better theatre artist because I have a broader perspective, capacity and resilience that I learned from my time staying home to raise my kids. And it has given me a more empathetic heart as a leader and artist, which is a huge asset in this competitive industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: karissabarber.com
• Instagram: @theactingmom
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karissa-barber/

Image Credits
Thom Altman, Jenna Fisher, Emily Rose Portraits