Collections by Michelle Brown WSG Comedian Karen Williams

Karen Williams is a trailblazer in the world of LGBTQ comedy. 

graduated summa cum laude from Cleveland State University with a personally-designed major in “Humor and Healing” and also received a Master of Education degree from the University’s Adult Learning & Development program.

As a single lesbian mother living in Berkeley in the 1980’s she started doing stand-up comedy because it was something, she could do that didn’t cost her anything. She was featured in the award-winning comedy/documentary “We’re Funny That Way” and was a 1999 Glama Award nominee for her comedy CD “Human Beings: What a Concept”

She’s worked as a comedy writer, has performed at venues around the country and is a regularly featured artist on Olivia Cruise Lines. Karen has taught Stand-Up Comedy in the Dramatic Arts department of Cleveland State University. She is the creator of the Humor-At-Large workshop series and founder of the National Women’s Comedy Conference.

She founded HaHA Institute in the late 1980s. 

The mission of the International Institute of Humor and Healing Arts aka HaHA Institute e is to encourage the fullest and highest activation of human potential for compassion, wisdom, and life force through the daily use of humor and healing arts, which includes stress management, nutrition, exercise, massage and healing touch, aromatherapy, and spiritual practices.

 The institute has been run virtually but now Karen is ready to bring HaHA Institute from its virtual home to a brick and motor location in Cleveland's new LGBTQ Community Center this summer.