Kara Young (actress)

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Kara Young
Born
Kara Young
Alma materNew York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts
OccupationActress

Kara Young[1] is an American actress. She has been nominated twice for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play: in 2022 for her role of Letitia in Clyde's and in 2023 for her role of Jess in Cost of Living.

Early life and education

Young was born and raised in Harlem in New York City.[2] Both of her parents emigrated from Belize. Her father, Klay Young, began working in the Rainbow Room in 30 Rockefeller Plaza in 1992 as a server and later captain (a place where Kara would eventually attend a special event for Tony Award nominees).[1] Her mother worked in health administration in Bellevue Hospital.[1]

Young had an interest in performing from the age of five, when she learned to mime in an afterschool program at the 92nd Street Y.[3] She briefly went to Gettysburg College and the City College of New York before studying at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, where she graduated.[2][4] She studied traditional theater in Thailand for a month in 2008.[2]

Career

Young joined the LAByrinth Theater Company in 2017.[2] She has appeared off-Broadway in plays such as NSangou Njikam's Syncing Ink, Jonathan Payne's The Revolving Cycles Truly and Steadily Roll'd, Stephen Adly Guirgis's Halfway Bitches Go Straight To Heaven (a LAByrinth co-production), Jeff Augustin's The New Englanders, and C.A. Johnson's All the Natalie Portmans.[2][5][6] A Times review of her starring role in All the Natalie Portmans wrote that Young "can fit what feels like a mountain of blood, heart, sinew and febrile emotional response into a frame that can't stretch past five feet".[6] Young often plays characters much younger than herself, adolescents or even preadolescents, something attributed in part to her small size and wide-set eyes.[2]

In November 2021, Young made her Broadway debut at the Hayes Theater playing a single mother, Letitia, in Lynn Nottage's play Clyde's.[3] The Times called her performance "superb".[7] At the 75th Tony Awards, she was nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Clyde's.[8]

In 2022, Young played a caregiver, Jess, in Martyna Majok's play Cost of Living at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on Broadway.[9] At the 76th Tony Awards, she was again nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Cost of Living.[10] In 2023 she portrayed Lutiebell Gussie Mae Jenkins in the revival of the Ossie Davis play Purlie Victorious on Broadway.

Theatre credits

Year Title Role Venue Ref.
2016 Pretty Hunger Lea The Public Theater [11]
2017 Syncing Ink Alley Theatre [12]
2018 The Revolving Cycles Truly and Steadily Roll'd Karma
The Duke on 42nd Street
 [13]
2019 The New Englanders Eisa New York City Center [5]
Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven Lil Melba Diaz
Linda Gross Theatre
 [14]
2020 All the Natalie Portmans Keyonna Susan and Ronald Frankel Theater [15]
2021–2022 Clyde's Letitia Hayes Theater [3]
2022 Twelfth Night Viola Classical Theatre of Harlem [16]
Cost of Living Jess Samuel J. Friedman Theatre [9]'
2023–2024 Purlie Victorious Lutiebell Gussie Mae Jenkins
Music Box Theater
 [3]
2024 The Apiary Zora
Tony Kiser Theatre
 [17]

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Work Result Ref.
2017 Innovative Theatre Awards Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role In the Event of My Death Nominated [18]
2020 Antonyo Awards Best Actor in a Play Off-Broadway All the Natalie Portmans Nominated [19]
Lucille Lortel Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play Nominated [20]
AUDELCO Awards Special Achievement Award Won [21]
2022 Lilly Awards Stacey Mindich Go Work in Theater Award Won [22]
Actors' Equity Foundation Awards Clarence Derwent Award Clyde's Won [23]
Antonyo Awards Best Featured Actor in a Play (Broadway) Nominated [24]
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Nominated [25]
Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Play Nominated [8]
2023 Obie Award Performance Twelfth Night Won [26]
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play Nominated
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play Cost of Living Nominated
Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Play Nominated [10]
2024
Drama League Awards
 Distinguished Performance Purlie Victorious Pending [27]

References

  1. ^ a b c Paulson, Michael (May 27, 2022). "Why the Biggest Ovation at the Tonys Luncheon Was for a Waiter". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Vincentelli, Elisabeth (September 16, 2020). "For Kara Young, a Zooming Career Is Followed by a Zoom Role". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Brunner, Jeryl (December 22, 2021). "Making Her Broadway Debut In 'Clyde's,' Kara Young Is A Force On Stage And Screen". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  4. ^ "Notable Alumni". New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Green, Jesse (October 2, 2019). "'The New Englanders' Review: Trying Too Hard to Be Special". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Soloski, Alexis (February 25, 2020). "'All the Natalie Portmans' Review: An Imaginary Friend With an Oscar". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  7. ^ Green, Jesse (November 23, 2021). "'Clyde's' Review: Sometimes a Hero Is More Than Just a Sandwich". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 30, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Sherman, Rachel (May 9, 2022). "Full List of the 2022 Tony Award Nominees". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 12, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Cox, Gordon (September 27, 2022). "Why 'Cost of Living' Is on the Broadway Forefront". Variety. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Sherman, Rachel; Cohn, Gabe (May 2, 2023). "Tony Awards Nominations 2023: The Complete List". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  11. ^ "PRETTY HUNGER and TEENAGE DICK Set for Public Studio This Spring". BroadwayWorld.com. February 18, 2016. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  12. ^ "Cast, Creatives Set for NSangou Njikam's World Premiere of SYNCING INK at Alley Theatre". BroadwayWorld.com. January 11, 2017. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  13. ^ Wild, Stephi. "Jonathan Payne's THE REVOLVING CYCLES TRULY AND STEADILY ROLL'D Opens Tonight". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  14. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe (November 26, 2019). "HALFWAY BITCHES GO STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN Extends One Week through December 29". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  15. ^ Ware, J. Gabriel (April 21, 2022). "More Than a Character: For Actor Kara Young, the Right Role Is Liberating". TheaterMania. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  16. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe (June 13, 2022). "Cast Announced for TWELFTH NIGHT at Classical Theatre Of Harlem". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  17. ^ Hall, Margaret (February 27, 2024). "Kara Young to Join Kate Douglas' The Apiary Off-Broadway".
  18. ^ "Nominees Announced for the 2017 Innovative Theatre Awards; Full List!". BroadwayWorld.com. July 26, 2017. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  19. ^ Cristi, A. A. (June 9, 2020). "TINA, Audra McDonald, Joshua Henry, LaChanze, Arienne Warren and More Nominated for 2020 Antonyo Awards". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  20. ^ Rosky, Nicole (May 3, 2020). "The Winners Are In for the 2020 Lucille Lortel Awards- The Full List!". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  21. ^ Wild, Stephi (December 4, 2020). "Winners Announced For 2020 AUDELCO Awards". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  22. ^ Putnam, Leah (May 13, 2022). "2022 Tony Nominee Kara Young Wins Lilly Award; See the Full Winners List". Playbill. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  23. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe (May 16, 2022). "Amber Gray, Kara Young & More Receive 2022 Actors' Equity Foundation Awards". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  24. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "2nd Annual Antonyo Award Nominations Announced - See The Full List!". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  25. ^ Rosky, Nicole. "SIX, KIMBERLY AKIMBO Lead Nominations for 2022 Drama Desk Awards". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  26. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe (February 24, 2023). "FAT HAM, ENGLISH, Kara Young, Saheem Ali & More Win Obie Awards for 2020-2022 Season". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  27. ^ "2024 Drama League Award Nominations announced". Theatermania. Retrieved April 22, 2024.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kara_Young_(actress)&oldid=1220791049"