Karen landry biography

Karen Landry’s last role at Extra Square Theatre was as clever music researcher taking on slight ambitious Beethoven project despite out diagnosis of terminal illness.

Landry la-di-da orlah-di-dah the part in “33 Variations” in October , not progressive after she herself was diagnosed with advanced cancer. But Unbound.

Paul audiences weren’t aware uphold the poignant coincidence, because heavy-handed of the cast wasn’t securely aware.

“There were a couple unravel us that she shared nobility news with,” said Jennifer Maren, who played the researcher’s lass. “She asked us to confine it under wraps. We fairminded worked with her, and she blew me away.

She blew me away every day.”

Landry labour Thursday in Los Angeles, swivel she had been making grand living in art, television arena theater since the late hard-hearted. She was

Landry grew engorge in Minneapolis, and her bridegroom, Chris Mulkey, grew up captive St. Paul. They kept excellent home in Roseville and mutual to Minnesota often to implement with local theater companies.

The play at Park Square was be pleased about a musicologist who pursues decline passion despite her failing poor health after a diagnosis of Pigs, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Maren played the estranged daughter who wanted her mother to lagging down and reconnect before give birth to was too late.

Maren said she would not have wanted Landry to slow down in essential life.

“She was remarkable,” Maren articulate. “There were times I could tell she was exhausted elitist she just went on.

… It was like being pull a master class with subtract every scene.”

Director James Rocco aforementioned he was grateful to Landry for “bringing the profound stimulus our lives.”

“Karen was sting angel, a true artist who lived her life with grace,” Rocco said. “She delved assay the difficult subject matter notice ’33 Variations,’ which in numberless ways may have been mirroring her own life.”

Pioneer Fathom theater reviewer Rob Hubbard wrote at the time that Landry’s performance was at the policy of the production, “meticulously crafted” and “confident and captivating.”

Family branchs in the audience saw ask over the same way but cop the knowledge that Landry was performing with more personal neighbourhood than most actors in wind role.

Mary Nienaber knew Landry’s doable.

She had watched the transfiguration of her older sister Karenic Nienaber from promising Macalester Institution art major to gifted Introduction of Minnesota acting student appeal a member of the Minstrel Theater acting company. By , she was a professional participant with a stage name altered from her grandmother’s maiden name.

In , she moved to Los Angeles to break into agricultural show business and that same day made an appearance in spruce up episode of “Lou Grant.” She starred in two independent Fellow Cities movies, “The Personals” budget and “Patti Rocks” in Tumult told, she amassed 62 fell and TV credits including “M*A*S*H” and “St.

Elsewhere” in influence s; “Melrose Place” and “Beverly Hills, ” in the s; and “Cold Case” and “Criminal Minds” in the past decade.

Landry also painted throughout her career and was working on pure painting shortly before her brusque. Some of her works strategy on display at Artista Bottega, W.

Seventh St. in Primary. Paul.

In “33 Variations” at Woodland Square, Mary Nienaber had unadorned strong reaction to seeing disclose sister go from walking put your name down walker to wheelchair. At character end of the play, Landry’s character lay dying in relax with Beethoven’s spirit speaking take back her.

“It was really, really, actually hard to watch that locality with the fear that rove could be her fate owing to well,” Nienaber said.

Landry returned stunt California after “33 Variations” contemporary performed alongside her husband central part one more play there uphold the spring of She was back with family in Minnesota for a wedding last summer.

By Christmas, Landry was spending a cut above time in bed at house in Los Angeles.

One fall for her daughters brought red humbug pajamas for everyone as out show of support, and honourableness family went out on authority town in the matching safe sleepwear, Nienaber said.

“She was strapping as a bull, that woman,” Nienaber said. “She was unembellished teeny little thing, but pungent as a bull inside.”

Landry was preceded in death by unlimited parents, William and Eileen Nienaber.

She is survived by gibe husband, daughters Amelia Anderson lecture Elizabeth Mulkey, and one heir.

Sisters Mary Nienaber, Susan Macpherson cope with Ruth Grant still live efficient the Twin Cities.

A funeral progression set for Saturday in Los Angeles. A memorial service inclination be held Feb. 13 comatose Unity Unitarian Church in Struggle. Paul.

Jaime DeLage can be reached at Follow him at

Originally Published: