Karlyn Swords was born in Ottawa, Illinois. She affectionately goes by her nickname, Karly. She grew up in a household filled with stories and laughter along with her three younger brothers. From a young age, Karly has been apart of the art world through dance classes at Patty Gray’s Dance Studio learning Ballet, Tap, and Jazz from ages 5-18. She would also take art classes every summer through the local city recreation program. She began being involved in local theatre in 7th grade at a children’s theatre company called Chaos. She has since worked with other local companies such as Stage 212, Engle Lane, and Odeum Mainstage. 

 

Karly graduated from Ottawa Township High School in 2016 and was heavily involved in the theatre department. She continued her love of theatre to expand her training to Rockford University. She recently graduated in May of 2020 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting/Directing. During her time at Rockford, she was apart of the Art Club (Treasurer), a scholarship choir (Vocal Collective), and had the wonderful opportunity to intern at the Rockford Symphony Orchestra. Some of the mainstage shows she was apart of include Five Women Wearing the Same Dress (Frances), The Good Doctor (Mistress, Old Lady, and Defenseless Creature), Richard III (Ensemble), Candide (Ensemble), as well as the dance show, Orchesis (sophmore-senior year).  

 

While Karly enjoys being on stage she has also found a love for working backstage as well. Karly enjoys sewing and altering costumes for shows. When she is not on stage you will find her helping with wardrobe to help costume changes move smoothly. At Rockford University she worked wardrobe for several mainstage shows such as Picnic, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, and Carrie. She also found a passion for directing. Her favorite directing project was a production of Dear Edwina Jr. at Stage 212 in the summer of 2019. Her next directing piece would have been The Misunderstanding by Albert Camus but was canceled due to Covid-19.

 

Some of her favorite theatrical experiences have been The Love Talker (Red Head), God of Carnage (Veronica Novak), The Effects of Gamma Rays by Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (Janice Vickery), and Blue Yonder  (Dynamite Girl).

 

When not performing or working behind the scenes Karly enjoys writing plays and short fiction, reading, and listening to podcasts. She also looks forward to visiting with friends and family whenever she can!

 

Check out the news page to see what Karly is up to next.