Katie Kopajtic (she/her) is a writer, actor, and producer, having brought about a series of works in the past decade with her production company Tres Brujas Productions, which she runs with her wife, Monica. Recently Katie has been touring her solo show Modern Witches, described as “like Fleabag and Sylvia Federici got really into [Virginia] Woolf” which had a successful run at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and is slated for a three week run this spring in New York City. Both audiences and reviewers have lauded Modern Witches, calling it “wildly imaginative” and “thoroughly and lovingly researched,” among other praise.
In addition to continuing work on Modern Witches, Katie is in post production with her feature documentary Heritage Fantasy, which tackles themes of identity, self-doubt, and the struggle to find self-worth as an artist outside the success metrics determined by a capitalist market.
Her fiction and nonfiction stories and essays have been published by Variant Literature, Cream City Review, Catapult, Electric Literature and more. She is currently employed as a narrative designer for a web3 science fantasy gaming project, in addition to teaching youth improv and working as a freelance editor.
“My UMBC theatre degree gave me the tools to be a great actor, but beyond that a deeper understanding of how to tell a great story using any medium. This has to do with how UMBC teaches theatre; no matter the specific role you are studying, you are first and foremost a storyteller, and you have a responsibility to bring your best work to the table. Holding myself to that standard has been an asset through the many variations in my artistic career, both as an individual artist and as a collaborator.
My advice to anyone graduating is: *~marry rich~* - be patient with yourself. The feeling of success is not constant. Sometimes you are coasting on a strong current, but most of the time you are treading water. Learn to embrace every element of the artistic process: the bitter taste of rejection, the euphoria of a rehearsal breakthrough. Follow curiosity. Be a good theatre citizen: see shows, read new plays, cheer on your peers. It sucks to feel alone but you are never alone. It will all be okay!"
To check out Katie’s work, visit her website: www.katiekopajtic.com