14 Historical Women Characters
Storyteller, actress, and writer Karen Vuranch weaves together a love of history, a passion for stories and a sense of community. She is known for her traditional storytelling, plays based on oral history, and living history presentations of famous American women.
Her repertoire of famous American women includes
- Novelist Pearl S. Buck,
- Labor Activist Mother Jones,
- Humanitarian Clara Barton,
- Irish pirate Grace O’Malley,
- Indian captive Mary Draper Ingles,
- Civil War soldier and spy Emma Edmunds,
- Wild West outlaw Belle Starr,
- the First Lady of Food, chef Julia Child,
- Hollywood gossip columnist Louella Parson,
- Beloved children’s author Laura Ingalls Wilder,
- Writer and humanitarian Edith Wharton,
- Singer Mama Cass Elliot
- And her newest character in the works is Mae West.
Karen is based in West Virginia but is available to travel. Here she is as Irish Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley.
We caught up with her at The Padraic Pearse Center Speaker Series of the Irish American Club East Side at their Stories and Signatures event on Sunday March 30, 2025 that featured Karen as Irish Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley. Watch.
Karen truly becomes the person she portays and has a vast expanse of knowledge that is able to answer any question the audience may have.
Watch this sample as Karen Vuranch as Grace O’Malley told how she got her famous nickname, Granuaile.