Karen Anzoategui

Karen Anzoategui is a writer/performer and artivist and emerging gender queer solo performer in Los Angeles and currently playing openly queer character, Daysi Cantu, on the Emmy nominated original HULU series, East Los High.

Karen is currently published in Ana Castillo's La Tolteca, Howlround, Hinchadas Poesia, MALCS 2013 Winter Journal.

Most known for their solo show Ser! a Queer transnational tale, originally inspired by CA immigration legislation HR4437 and social manifestations in Argentina, was selected as a finalist for the Downtown Urban Theatre Festival in New York City in 2012 and received its world premiere at Los Angeles Theatre Center with raving reviews, produced by Latino Theatre Company, was nominated for five LA Weekly Awards and won 2 LA Weekly Awards for music marking a pivotal moment in the solo performer’s career.

Karen was nominated in 2012 for a Broadway World Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for their role as Rita in Evangeline the Queen of Make Believe (EQMB) written by Louie Perez of Los Lobos, Rose Portillo and Theresa Chavez of About Productions.

Karen's second solo show is called Catholic School Daze (CSD) about the intersection of queerness, faith and trauma. CSD has been presented at UCSC for the Western Regional Conference, Univ. of New Mexico for the AJAAS conference, an excerpt at La Pena Cultural Arts Center with Perra Pumps, Highways Performance Art Space, selected for the REDCAT Studio Series, In October 2013 CSD was presented at UCLA with the student group La Familia and at USC for the Models of Pride conference.
Anzoategui is currently working on a documentary based on this work; developed through workshops with their audience members at the UCLA Chicano Research Library, Cal State Northridge and the Cal State Fullerton Queer People of Color Conference. Karen also leads student workshops and recently led the Grad Student Conference with UC Santa Barbara and the Hemispheric South/s Research Initiative and the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center.
Karen was the keynote performer at Arizona State University’s Local to Global Justice Conference, MALCS in 2012 at UCSB and in 2013, Karen performed at Noche De Cultura for MALCS at Ohio State University, at the City of West Hollywood One City, One PRIDE Festival, Macha Theatre, Hollywood Fringe Festival directed by Che’Rae Adams, to standing ovation crowds. Excerpts of her solo work have been presented at: REDCAT, Nate Holden Center with Teada and L.A.C.E. directed by Dino Dinco. Other credits include: ProClitvities directed by Virginia Grise at Highways Theatre , Henry V & The Changeling with Independent Shakespeare Co, Sissy written and produced by Ricardo Bracho.

T.V. credits include CW Network's Crazy X Girlfriend airing Nov 2nd
Karen served nine years in the HIV/AIDS social service field.