Karen-Kaia Livers is a native New Orleanian. For the past 45 years, she’s appeared on stage and in films. Most recently, she was nominated for Best Actress at the Tribeca Film Festival for starring in the film Burning Cane. Karen’s credits are extensive beginning with her training at the legendary New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. Her last theatrical tour included a performance at the Apollo Theater in Swimming Up Stream under the direction of Tony Award winners Eve Ensler and Kenny Leon. Her most recent feature film credits include Queen & Slim, Burning Cane, Triple Nine, Don’t Kill It, Hurricane Season,  and Sonny. Her television credits include CLAWS, One Mississippi, NCIS New Orleans, & Vampire Diaries, with recurring roles in The Originals, K-Ville, and as Mrs. Robinette on the HBO series Treme.  She has also worked behind the scenes as Treme’s Specialty Casting Director & Musicians’ Coordinator for all four seasons. Her casting director credits also include Old Boy and Miracle at St. Anna, directed by Spike Lee’s.

Outside of her creative endeavors, she spent 23 years with the Alliance for Community Theaters, Inc.; ACT I, and as the producer of ACT I’s New Orleans Black Theater Festival where she served as Executive Director, assisting theater practitioners with arts administration and creative management. She is the recipient of several awards; Hbo Treme Series, ‘MVP Player’; Louisiana Division of the Arts Theater Fellowship, ACT I’s Best Actress & Best Director, CAC Sweet Arts Award, Mayor’s Arts Award, with many more.

She has been involved with numerous organizations and events, including Ashe Cultural Arts Center, The Alliance for Community Theaters, Inc., New Orleans Black Theater Festival, The People’s Institute for Survival Beyond, Louisiana Living History Co., The Guardians of the Flame Institute, Junebug Productions, Pennsylvania Past Players, Mardi Gras Indians Hall of Fame., N.O. Jazz & Heritage Festival, Young Audiences, Southern Arts Federation, the Chakula Cha Jua Theater Co., Amistad Research Center, the Urban Arts Training Program, the Kuji Center, and the Windybrow Performing Arts Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa.