What I Do
I specialize in immersive entertainment, both as an actor and behind the scenes.
Performing
Using acting and improvisation techniques to bring stories to life
- I have acted in productions with a variety of notable immersive theatre companies, including The Speakeasy Society, The Experiences, Drunken Devil, Shine On Collective, Pseudonym Productions, and Screenshot Productions.
- Integrating emerging technology with performance is my latest passion; I have been involved in several immersive virtual reality projects, including being part of the live actor cast in Tender Claws' The Under Presents.
- Through my work in experiential marketing activations, I have brought to life the worlds of various IPs including Westworld, Fairfax, Panic, Hunters, Harley Quinn, Alita: Battle Angel, Ready Player One, Castle Rock, and The Handmaid's Tale.
Producing
Managing immersive projects independently and with companies
- As managing director of #metaforyou, I am part of a team that creates interactive brand experiences, such as the premiere of the Prime Video show Hunters, which transformed a street in LA into 1970's New York with a cast of 40 immersive actors. Other clients include HBO, TikTok, Spotify, FX, Hulu, New Balance, Nickelodeon, Hotel Indigo, and Uncle Nearest Whiskey.
- With Gotham Immersive Laboratories, creators of bespoke immersive puzzle adventures for clients such as Google, Facebook, and Spotify, I host and run in-person and virtual experiences, as well as contributing to the writing and development of game content.
- I co-created and produced Snow Fridge, a critically-acclaimed, award-nominated immersive show for the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival, and Best Night Ever for the 2019 Hollywood Fringe Festival.
- With my collaborators at Ladybug & Leviathan, I created and produced The Place You Once Forgot, an intimate one-on-one immersive experience for the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe festival, and then adapted it to a virtual format in 2020-2022.
- As a production manager of Whisperlodge, I oversee operations for all Los Angeles productions of the immersive ASMR spa.
News
My return to the stage!
Tea at Five in Idaho
This summer, I'm off to the gorgeous resort town of Sun Valley, ID to star as Katharine Hepburn in Matthew Lombardo's play about the legendary actress (who happens to share my birthday). This role marks my first time performing in a proscenium stage play since transitioning into immersive work nearly five years ago! I can't think of a more perfect opportunity to reconnect to my theatrical roots than portraying one of my heroes while traveling to a new state!
Reviews
Nice things the press has said about some of the projects I've worked on.
Snow Fridge
DR3AMLOGiKK (co-created by me), Hollywood Fringe Festival, 2018
- Stage Raw: "Dr3amlogikk is part of a wave of emerging immersive theater artists whose experiments with physical intimacy and the extreme subjectivity of “one-on-one” participatory performance is quickly becoming a hallmark of L.A.’s immersive avant-garde." (Also listed on Stage Raw's Top Ten!)
- Immersed: "It isn’t just that Karlie Blair and Keight Leighn have taken the time to understand each audience member, and they have; it’s that they’ve created a safe space for someone to understand themselves."
- No Proscenium: "It’s one of those shows that you cannot really describe in a way that fully captures what it is."
- HorrorBuzz: "Let’s just make this short and sweet: Go see Snow Fridge. It’s fantastic."
- Media Geeks: "Snow Fridge is at once a chaotic display of emotion, and a quiet confirmation of love in this vast universe."
- Immersed: "The show is relentlessly, unstoppably optimistic, and just like Karlie’s small talk at the beginning of the night, casts a cheery, wide-eyed perspective on some truly enormous topics."
- Nightmarish Conjurings: "Snow Fridge is a silly, fun, and introspective offering at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival that you won’t want to miss." (See their other review of Snow Fridge's remount here!)
- My Haunt Life: "It was a playful dream, filled with whimsy and bizarre connections of thought to action to words."
The Place You Once Forgot
Ladybug & Leviathan (co-created by me), Edinburgh Fringe Festival - 2019, virtual - 2020-2022
- No Proscenium: "I take a deep breath. And I smile. I can’t remember what I’d been worrying about previously and I can’t remember why I’ve been stressed. Which I suppose is precisely the point of The Place You Once Forgot. I needed to take the time to remember the other things in life."
Echoes in the Dark
Shine On Collective, 2018
- Haunting: "Blair’s performance as Victor’s equally brilliant lover... is the lynchpin that drives the success of the narrative."
- HorrorBuzz: "Blair is incredible in every immersive show I’ve seen her in thus far and that is is no different here."
- Nightmarish Conjurings: "I’m not sure if either of this could have been accomplished without the deft acting handiwork of Blair... To have the ability to take audiences through such an emotional whirlwind in the span of a half-hour is nothing short of amazing."
Safehouse '77
Spy Brunch, 2017-2018
- HorrorBuzz: "Kudos especially to Karlie Blair for thinking so quick on her feet, as she was the shining star of the show for the duration of the game of “Never Have I Ever” we all played. Hell, pretty much every thing out of her mouth during the show had us rolling. Her comedic timing was amazing and spot-on."
- Immersed: "Karlie Blair... carries a delightfully open crassness about her slender, almost angelic frame. Blair, with her ability to subtly tout Connie’s sense of self-importance throughout her engaging demeanor, is extremely well chosen as both guest’s initial contact point and as the common thread of casual decadence that serves as a reminder that this is still a party, after all."
- Nightmarish Conjurings: "I spent a lot of time with Connie (played by Karlie Blair) who was a firecracker with her stories, especially during the game “Never Have I Ever” and her insistence on trying everything and anything under the sun."
- No Proscenium: "With talent of this caliber drawing the audience in, it was impossible to stay on the sidelines."
- We Like LA
- Food & Wine
Give Up The Ghost
Spectacular Disaster Factory, 2019
- Immersed: "Karlie Blair is exceptional in a challenging scene which asks if it is acceptable to torture one for the benefit of millions."
Interviews
Podcasts & articles.
No Proscenium Podcast
The voice of everything immersive.
Listen to my chat with host Noah Nelson about my work as an immersive artist and creating my first show, Snow Fridge.
Voyage LA
LA's most inspiring stories.
Read my interview with this local Los Angeles publication, in which I share my journey, the struggles and successes that led me to my current career.
Headshot, Reel, Resume
Actor basics.
My Reel
A little sample of my on-camera acting.
My Acting Resume
Click the icon to see my acting resume.
If you'd like to view my business resume, which details all of my non-acting-related experience, please send me an email in the contact section below!
Connect With Me
Let's keep in touch!
Email Me
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Connect on LinkedIn
