Karly Bergmann

Background

About Karly Bergmann

Karly Bergmann is an adaptable and affable arts administrator who enjoys the behind-the-scenes work of coordinating and organizing as much as the front-facing work of hosting an audience. At Circus Juventas, she successfully transferred the ticket-buying system to an in-house platform on a three-week timeline and served as Box Office Manager during the show runs. A quick study, she learned the language of circus during her first year and coordinated the logistics of over arena placements for students performing in 92 acts during the annual Spring Celebration Performances. Before running away to join the circus, Karly managed the main office of Puppeteers of America, and served as the face of the organization to the organization's members. During this time, she negotiated a new office rental contract on behalf of PofA, successfully moving the organization from a month-to-month lease to a 3-year lease. She also managed the organization's fiscal sponsorship program and authored the Fiscal Sponsorship FAQ document for members. Before her time with PofA, Karly worked as a freelance puppeteer and designer. As an artist, Karly conducts experiments in the science of enchantment—often through puppetry, but always through handmade, object-based work. After studying Dramaturgy and Theatre Criticism at The Theatre School at DePaul University, she went on to be fostered in Chicago’s vibrant DIY scene, receive The Edes Prize for Emerging Artists, and moved to Rome, Italy. There, she studied shadow puppetry with masters at Teatro Gioco Vita. Her versatile shadow puppet designs have been seen on stage at Nashville Childrens’ Theatre (A Snowy Day), The Hudson Theatre in Los Angeles (The Mountain Digby, a world premiere), and The English Theatre of Rome (The Belle of Amherst). Karly was recently a 2019-2020 Puppet Lab fellow and is an alumna of The National Puppetry Conference at The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.