Hello!

Welcome to my website. You'll find pictures of recent events, information about what's coming up, and a little history.

These days, I am very fortunate to be co-facilitating an adolescent girls' creative writing group with Dr. Kathy Blohm. The participants have renewed my sense of hope, so I thought I'd share a bit of their hope with you. Here's a poem we all wrote together. Each different color represents a different person's voice.

HOPE…or
Something That is Broken Can Always Be Fixed
By the Group That Opened the Box, March 2009

Childhood. (meow.)
I talk to myself (meow) when I wish I could cry, but I know I should not.
Remember, I say. Remember...
Do not be afraid of what there is to come.
When you think your timing is off, (meow) ask for it,
for hope, for something so simple and young.
It shall be a gift for the future, a reminder that life is hard, but hope –
hope,
she can go on and on.
(meow.)
You think it’s not your turn
even though it never ends – Remember.
I remember –
a carefree feather,
(twinkle, twinkle)
a bouncy ball,
a knitted thing –
freedom.
I could cry, “Freedom.”
I could cry,
Strength,
Heart,
Joy,
Wish,
Always, Simply…
(meow.)
Do I remember?
I could remember.
It’s time. It makes its way –
this hope, joy, wish, freedom.
It makes its way around.
(meow.)
A reminder –
I remember –
Exact remembrance –
Something that is broken can always be fixed.

Thank you, Dakota West Arts Council and City of Bismarck

I'd like to extend a very special thank you to the Dakota West Arts Council and the City of Bismarck for helping to fund Dragon Jane's newest show! Entitled DON'T WORRY! THE MODERN WOMAN'S GUIDE TO 100% HAPPINESS (OR YOUR MONEY BACK), the show is co-written by members of Dragon Jane and myself. Coming soon to Bismarck/Mandan!

"Arts Dakota Exhibition" in North Dakota

Good news! Let's hear it for the North Dakota Art Gallery Association (NDAGA)!

The NDAGA has finished judging entries for their traveling exhibit, Arts Dakota, which honors North Dakota arts and cultures. I just found out that three of my writings will be a part of this exhibit. These include my children's poem Water, the beginning of my children's play Delicious!, and a monologue from my adult play Ugly Girl.

As the letter of congratulations says, my work has been "printed out, enlarged to poster size, framed, and is on Exhibition."

Mom always said that my writing would be larger than life one day!

Stay tuned for more info on the Exhibition schedule.

News & Reviews

New News

HOWASTE RECOGNITION LUNCHEON. Music and movement performance with Kris Kitko. Friday April 17, 2009, at 11:45 AM. Municipal Country Club, Bismarck. Benefitting Charles Hall Youth Services.

DON'T WORRY! THE MODERN WOMAN'S GUIDE TO 100% HAPPINESS (OR YOUR MONEY BACK) written by Karen Van Fossan and Dragon Jane. Friday, September 11, 2009, at 8 PM. Woman Song in LaMoure, ND.

ARTS DAKOTA EXHIBITION. Including "Water" and excerpts from "Ugly Girl" and "Delicious!" by Karen Van Fossan. Traveling exhibit of North Dakota arts sponsored by the North Dakota Art Galleries Association. The year 2009 and ongoing.

DEVILS LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS RESIDENCY with Dragon Jane. Devils Lake, ND. April 20 -- May 8, 2009.

MANCHESTER HOUSE RESIDENCY with Dragon Jane. Bismarck, ND. Week of June 1, 2009.

CREATIVE WRITING GROUP FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS. "The Group That Opened the Box." Chambers and Blohm Psychological Services. Bismarck, ND. Spring/Summer 2009.

WEST RIVER HEAD START "SCHOOLS AND ARTISTS AS LEARNING TEAMS" RESIDENCY with Dragon Jane. Mandan, ND. 2008-2009 School Year.

CHARLES HALL YOUTH SERVICES PROGRAMMING with Kris "Kittyko" Kitko. Bismarck, ND. Spring/Summer 2009.

Recent News (Fondly Remembered)

BLOOD MOTHER: THE WILD WOMAN'S GUIDE TO MASS MARKETING AND OTHER MODERN (MIS)ADVENTURES, written by Karen Van Fossan and Dragon Jane. PrideFest, Summer 2008.

YOUTUBE. Dragon Jane is there. But can you find us???

PEACE PARADE. Monday, September 1, 2008, at 1 PM. Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN.

TUMBLEWEED CABARET: THE MYTH OF THE GOLDEN THREAD. The Lowry Theater, 16 West Fifth Street, St. Paul, MN. Monday, September 1, 2008, at 7:30 PM.

TALENT NIGHT. Frances Leach High Prairie Arts and Science Center's Imagination Theatre, 1810 Schafer St, Bismarck, ND. Saturday, September 6, 2008. Social, 7:30 PM. Talent Show, 8 PM.

ROOSEVELT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RESIDENCY. Bismarck, ND. Beginning October 1, 2008.

CREATIVE MOVEMENT FOR THE STAGE. Workshop at Shade Tree Players Children's Theatre. Bismarck, ND. March 21, 2009.

List of past performances/presentations below.

Read the not-so recent BISMARCK TRIBUNE article about Karen Van Fossan. (She prefers to be called "Karen Van Fossan." But she'll answer to "Karen Von Fossan" any day!)

Reviews

"An outstanding creative writer. She will do the Bush Foundation proud." -- Susan Campbell Bartoletti, 2006 Newbery Honor Award Recipient

"I thought I was in New York!" -- Michelle Steinwand, Founder, WomanSong

"Phenomenal! Karen Van Fossan demonstrates a degree of excellence that truthfully is not often seen." -- Ryan Kennedy, director, Embracing Life's Dance, Denver, CO

"No matter what Karen writes, I know there will be something we can learn about getting along with each other. She is the peaceful type. Congratulations, Bismarck, for getting a Bush Fellow in Karen!" -- Senator Tim Mathern, Fargo, ND

Thanks, Roosevelt School!

Six plays in one week? Is that possible? Only with a whole lot of help!

Tracy Wanek and I had a wonderful time at Roosevelt elementary School this fall. I was honored to see such talented actors (of all ages!) give so much energy to our work together.

The plays...
1st grade: Delicious!
2nd grade: The Pig from Colorado
K & 3rd grade: Peaches Loves Peas
4th grade: Watermelon Belly
5th grade: Doctor Dragon
6th grade: Wanted: The Sun

For more news about the Roosevelt event, you can read Sara Kincaid's great Bismarck Tribune article.

Special thanks to the ND Council on the Arts for making this residency possible.

We all survived "Play in a Day"!

Q) What do you get when you combine young actors, high pressure, and a one-act play?
A) It's better than reality TV. It's Play in a Day!

Q) What is Play in a Day?
A) Play in a Day is a one-day program by Shade Tree Players Children's Theatre, giving creative young actors the chance to bring a play to life – from start to finish – in just one day.

Q) What play?
A) This November, the actors performed, Doctor Dragon by Karen Van Fossan.

Q) What is “Doctor Dragon” all about?
A) It's based on the Spanish proverb, “The belly rules the mind.” The story goes like this: A commercial comes to life on the set of “Dr. Pepperoni” – and swallows all the guests. The trouble is...What if you are what you eat?

Q) Who's responsible for making Play in a Day happen?
A) Play in a Day is made possible by young people, families, contributors, and of course, Amanda Irvine-Perry, director extraordinaire, as well as Jennifer Tosner, Shade Tree super-manager.

Q) How can I get involved?
A) You can contact Jennifer Tosner at 214-1061 or www.shadetreeplayers.com.

Q) What if I want to learn more about the plays?
A) You can email info (at) karenvanfossan.com. You can also peruse this website to find out what makes “Doctor Dragon” an edible play...

Enjoy the photos to the left -- courtesy of Jennifer Tosner.

Beware! Twelve Edible Plays (Plus One) written by Karen Van Fossan

Take warning...Someone or something might get eaten! It could be mandatory treats in the town of Sweet Tooth, a watermelon you're not supposed to touch, or...it could be you.

These fresh, innovative plays engage the whole child, honoring multiple intelligences and diverse styles of learning. The plays foster mutually-supportive expression and are well suited to multi-cultural education. Each piece is a one-act play that can be performed singly or grouped with others in the series. Ideal for school productions, community children's theaters, or intergenerational collaboration, each play has been workshopped or produced with actors of various ages.

Why “edible”? Eating is one of the most tangible (and delicious) ways we engage with our environment. And so -- consciousness about edibles may well be the seat of compassion, a way of taking one's place in the cycle of life.

I. Sticks and Stone Pizza
There's one way to make good when you're the new kid at school. And that's “stone pizza.”
Themes: Bullying, apology, forgiveness
Inspiration: The European tale "Stone Soup."

II. The Pig from Colorado
It's not that coyotes are bad guys, unless, by chance, you're a pig. Good thing the pig is T. Rex – and has a friend.
Themes: Friendship, courage, compassion
Inspiration: A true event at Wilderness Ranch, CO, where a horse saves the life of a pig.

III. Peaches Loves Peas
Help! Please help! Peaches loves peas. Doesn't Peaches know by now? Peas are poison!
Themes: Change, fear, persistence
Inspiration: A Roman custom in which fresh peas are poisonous.

IV. Dandelion Mystery
Mystery is afoot when dandelions turn into lemons. Who done it? Here's a clue – It happens before your very own eyes.
Themes: Social roles, adventure, expectations
Inspiration: An East-coast urban legend in which a trickster is at play overnight.

V. Frog Princess, A.K.A. Pete
The only problem with being a Frog Princess is nobody seems to speak “Frog.”
Themes: Translation, immigration, environment
Inspiration: A French proverb, "One feels good at the King's house but feels better at home."

VI. The Great Big, Little, Talking Vegetable Mix Up
What difference does it make if you're not really invisible, when nobody sees you anyway? Or do they?
Themes: Size, power, communication
Inspiration: A Welsh tale in which the wee folk finally speak up.

VII. Watermelon Belly
Maybe you can think fast; maybe you can talk fast. But when you're caught with somebody else's breakfast, what do you do?
Themes: Hunger, poverty, human rights
Inspiration: An oral story of the Great Depression, as told by the author's grandfather.

VIII. Delicious!
With a name like North Dakota, the place sounds nice enough. Don't be fooled! You'll find chokecherries, skunkbush, cactus plants to poke you. And what will you eat?
Themes: Ecology, tenacity, curiosity
Inspiration: A Turkish proverb, "Patience is bitter, but it bears sweet fruit."

IX. How the Nose Goes
Who knew birds would come along and snatch everyone's noses – and give you the wrong one back?
Themes: Cultural competence, difference, zoology
Inspiration: A Cheyenne proverb, "Do not judge your neighbor until you walk two moons in his moccasins."

X. Doctor Dragon
A commercial comes to life on the set of “Dr. Pepperoni” – and swallows all the guests. But what if you are what you eat?
Themes: Celebrity, advertising, peace culture
Inspiration: A Spanish proverb, "The belly rules the mind."

XI. Wanted: The Sun
The sun has disappeared! Can her sister find her? How about the news team? Or the astronauts?
Themes: Astronomy, reconciliation, news media
Inspiration: A Japanese tale, in which the Sun returns to the sky because of laughter.

XII. Don't Dance!
The narrator's really an alligator – or refrigerator...or calculator? And somebody's aching to dance. Who?
Themes: Collaboration, art, work
Inspiration: A Zimbabwean proverb, "If you can walk, you can dance."

XIII. Great Big & The X
All I know is – wait. What do I know? (And is there a poem in that?)
Themes: Uncertainty, truth, identity
Inspiration: Scottish and English rhymes, such as
"Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet,
eating her curds and whey. Along came a tarantula...!"
Wait -- is that how it goes?

Contact

For more information, you can contact us by email or call 701-258-6667.