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Madison, WI

Karen Saari

She, her, hers
Karen Saari


Karen Saari writes plays with themes of redemption, hope and humor in the face of obstacles. Her early roots in Michigan's Upper Peninsula come through in most of her work. Her plays include 'RAIN ON FIRE, BAD IN BED (A FAIRY TALE), JOYLAND, TRAGEDY SOUND and IN A CLEARING. Her work has been produced by Flint Repertory Theatre, Magnetic Theatre Co, Music Theatre of Madison, Stray Dog Theatre and more.

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Plays

CHAMP

by Karen Saari

Champ is highly-educated but has never set foot on a college campus. In fact, she’s never driven beyond the city limits of Kisser, Wisconsin. Riddled with student loan debt, she accepts a challenge from her dying grandfather. If she succeeds, she stands to inherit his lottery winnings and see the world--and herself--through new eyes.

Karen Saari

Tragedy Sound

by Karen Saari

Three young women accept a dare and embark on a canoe trek on frigid waters. Dangerous conditions prevail and force them to reveal and face the choices they've made and the trappings of life in their confining hometown.

Karen Saari

Mornings with June

by Karen Saari

June is a once successful radio personality who has returned to her northern Michigan hometown after a series of personal disasters.

Karen Saari

IN A CLEARING

by Karen Saari

Mark is a newly recovering alcoholic living in his hometown of Carp Lake, Wisconsin. He’s recently grown close to Pam, a childhood friend who is back home following a family […]

Karen Saari

Bad in Bed (A Fairy Tale)

by Karen Saari

Charles’ third wife has just informed him she’s leaving. As he reels from the news and the reason she gives, he spends a weekend with his best friend Jack and […]

Karen Saari

TEN DAYS IN A MADHOUSE

by Karen Saari

In 1887 journalist Nellie Bly got herself committed to the notorious Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum. Her coverage of the atrocities she witnessed brought about changes in mental health treatment, journalism […]

Karen Saari

Joyland

by Karen Saari

Lorna is a young single mother who needs a job. When she applies for a retail gig at a Disney-like corporation, she is screened by an automated interviewer who is […]

Karen Saari

GUN STORY

by Karen Saari

Two parents of high school athletes meet and discover they have a connection through their kids. An offhand joke triggers a surprising reaction in this story related to the gun […]

Karen Saari

‘Rain on Fire

by Karen Saari

Marie comes home to plan her addicted mother Lorraine’s funeral. ‘Rain’ left a surprising final wish for Marie and her cousin Caleb, a meth user, to fulfill together. Marie struggles […]

Karen Saari

Successes

TRAGEDY SOUND receives third production

TRAGEDY SOUND was performed at Northern Michigan University, May 14-16. The production won NMU’s 2025 Panowski Playwriting Competition.

CHAMP selected as SEMI-FINALIST

My newest play, CHAMP, was a semi-finalist for the Inkslinger Playwriting Competition, via Southeastern Louisiana University.

Residency

Awarded a fall 2026 residency at Everwood Farmstead retreat.

CHAMP

Finalist for Theatre Arcana’s New Pages Series (Chicago)

CHAMP

Finalist for Moxie Theatre’s Lamoise New Play Festival (San Diego)

JOYLAND

JOYLAND was produced as part of UW-Madison’s (Wisc.) “In Ten” 10-minute play festival on April 29, 2026.

TRAGEDY SOUND

Tragedy Sound is the winner of the 2025 Panowski Playwriting Award through Northern Michigan University.

BAD IN BED (A FAIRY TALE)

BAD IN BED (A FAIRY TALE) was produced by Kettle Moraine Players in Slinger, Wisc., Feb. 14-23, 2025.

TRAGEDY SOUND

The Wisconsin premiere of TRAGEDY SOUND will be produced by Edgewood University (fmr Edgewood College) in Madison, Wisc, Sept. 24-28, 2025.

TRAGEDY SOUND

The world premiere of TRAGEDY SOUND will be produced by Playhouse on the Square in Memphis, TN, July 11-27. It is one of two winners of their National Playwriting Competition.

HER GUIDING LIGHT

My monologue, HER GUIDING LIGHT, was produced as part of Forward Theater Company’s Guilty Pleasures Monologue Festival in May, 2025.

GUN STORY

GUN STORY was published by QU (Queens University) Literary Journal in their Winter 2024 edition.

BAD IN BED (A FAIRY TALE)

My romantic comedy about old friends, unrequited crushes and a Scandinavian sex curse is now published by Next Stage Press!

TRAGEDY SOUND

The Larking House Theatre Co (Anaheim, CA) awarded TRAGEDY SOUND a one-week digital playwriting intensive, culminating in a virtual staged reading on November 23, 2024.

TRAGEDY SOUND

TRAGEDY SOUND received a workshop and private staged reading with Flint Repertory Theatre in November, 2024.

TRAGEDY SOUND

TRAGEDY SOUND is a 2024 finalist for Playhouse on the Square’s NewWorks@TheWorks Playwriting Competition (Memphis). The play received a staged reading in October.

JOYLAND

My play JOYLAND was produced by Ludington Area Center for the Arts (Michigan) as part of their 10-minute play festival. (May 2024)

TRAGEDY SOUND

TRAGEDY SOUND received a one-week workshop, residency and public staged reading as part of Renaissance Theaterworks’ 2024 Br!nk New Play Festival in Milwaukee. (May 2024)

TRAGEDY SOUND has been selected for a workshop with The Bechdel Group’s New Play Development series. A virtual reading will take place Monday, March 18. 

ROCKHOUND received a staged reading with The Shattered Glass Project of Seattle. The play was workshopped for a week leading into the in-person and live-streamed reading. 

My play TRAGEDY SOUND has been selected for the 2024 Br!nk Residency Award by Milwaukee’s Renaissance Theaterworks. The play will receive a workshop process culminating in a staged reading. 

Flint Repertory Theatre produced the world premiere of my play ‘RAIN ON FIRE, Sept. 15-Oct. 1 in Flint, Michigan. 

My play TRAGEDY SOUND was a semi-finalist (top 15 out of 1,000+) in the Playwrights Realm Scratchpad Series.

Bulletins

World Premiere: BAD IN BED (A FAIRY TALE)

Madison College Performing Arts & Madison Theatre Guild are co-producing the world premiere of my play. BAD IN BED (A FAIRY TALE) is a romantic comedy about old friends, unrequited […]

World premiere: TEN DAYS IN A MADHOUSE

Tickets are now on sale for the musical I was commissioned to co-write (book and co-lyrics) for Music Theatre of Madison. Aug. 19-27 at Wisconsin Union Play Circle. TEN DAYS […]