Introduction
Karl David Hansen (born July 26, 1968) is an American actor, director, and a member of the Cleveland Play House Playwrights Unit. He is the founder of Dobama's Night Kitchen and co-founder of Guerrilla Theater Company and Bad Epitaph Theater Company, and is a recipient of a 2010 Creative Workforce Fellowship from the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture.
He is a graduate of Bay Village High School, and holds a degree in Theater from Ohio University. He is married to writer Toni Thayer. He is currently Education Outreach Associate for Great Lakes Theater.
Awards and Publication
His play I Hate This: A Play Without the Baby received an award for Excellence in Solo Performance at the New York International Fringe Festival in 2003. His adaptation of Agatha Christie's The Mysterious Affair at Styles was published in 2012 by Playscripts Inc., Double Heart (The Courtship of Beatrice and Benedick) in 2015 by YouthPLAYS, and several additional titles including I Hate This: A Play Without the Baby are available on Indie Theater Now.
Full-Length and One-Acts
- (2017) Red Onion, White Garlic
- (2016) The Secret Adversary adaptation of the novel by Agatha Christie
- (2015) Rosalynde & The Falcon
- (2015) The Great Globe Itself
- (2013) Adventures in Slumberland based on characters by Winsor McCay
- (2013) Double Heart (The Courtship of Beatrice and Benedick)
- (2012) The Mysterious Affair at Styles adaptation of the novel by Agatha Christie
- (2010) On The Dark Side of Twilight
- (2009) And Then You Die (How I Ran a Marathon in 26.2 Years)
- (2003) I Hate This: A Play Without the Baby
- (1997) The Vampyres
I Hate This has also been adapted as a radio drama in 2005.
10-Minute Plays
- (2015) On the Beam (part of The Cleveland Play House Centennial Plays)
- (2015) Tiresias Riddles The Fates
- (2014) Lombardo
- (2011) The Lady
Collaborations
- (2014) Seven Ages with Nina Domingue, Mike Geither, Christine Howey, Anne McEvoy, Michael Oatman & Toni K. Thayer
- (2001) The Gulf with Joshua D. Brown, Kelly Elliott, Brian Fox, Margi Herwald, Derek Koger, Leah D. Krauss, Heather N. Stout & Sean Sullivan
- (1998) Cole Cuts with David Bell, Suzanne L. Miller & Toni K. Thayer
- (1996) This Vicious Cabaret with Erin Myers, Mike Schmidt, Toni K. Thayer & Jenna Weiss
- (1993) Mind Your Own Business rotating sketch show, written by ensemble
- (1992) You Have the Right to Remain Silent! rotating sketch show, written by ensemble
Performances in plays by other playwrights
Hansen often performs in his own plays, and also has a history of performances in new or recently developed works by notable playwrights, including:
- (2015) White Rabbit Red Rabbit by Nassim Soleimanpour at Cleveland Public Theatre Pre-Off-Broadway
- (2013) 8 by Dustin Lance Black at Cleveland Play House
- (2012) The Velocity of Autumn by Eric Coble at Beck Center For the Arts Pre-Arena/Broadway