Performer Charley Karlotta pulls from her experience as a nurse
to examine the mind-body connection
and how it affects her (and everyone’s) life in this unique solo show.
As a nurse with years of experience, artist Charley Karlotta has witnessed many inexplicable occurrences in her career, especially when it comes to patients pulling off the impossible and recovering, surviving and coming out better than before. As someone who has always wanted to do a solo show, it not only got her thinking of her life, struggles and all, but also a new approach to the genre.
Thus And the Beat Goes On — parodies accompanied by a three-piece band — which tell the journey of a mature nurse and her struggles with her profession and her life. She hears songs in her head and uses music as a coping mechanism. In the 80’s she walked on fire with Tony Robbins. Many self-help books later she reached the spiritual equivalent of “rock bottom.” See how she had to lose her mind to find her peace.
“As a nurse I have always been fascinated by the mind-body connection,” Karlotta said. “The power of one’s thoughts, the power of prayer and how they can transform one’s life. I tried to figure out how and why my life turned out the way it did. I also was sick a couple years ago and feel I recovered due to my efforts to ’˜get my mind right.’ So that inspired me to write about this experience.”
The Wisconsin native who moved out here to give her two children the opportunity to act, Karlotta has finally been carving out the time in her own up-and-down life to pursue her passion of performing. With her experience and the guidance of veteran solo director Jessica Lynn Johnson, now was the perfect time to not only turn that passion into a performance, but also explore some of the themes that have continued to pop up in her life and work.
And the Beat Goes On: A Comedic Cabaret
Broadwater Stage Black Box Theatre, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd.
Thursday, August 5 – 5 p.m. (preview)
Thursday, August 19 – 8 p.m.
Thursday, August 26 – 10:30 p.m.
for tickets ($12), visit Hollywood Fringe
* You will need to wear a mask and present proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative COVID-19 test (within 72 hours) along with a photo ID to attend any in-person Hollywood Fringe event. Check www.hollywoodfringe.org for updates.