Kareem was born in Karachi, Pakistan, brought up in the USA, and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from the University of Central Florida. His Chicago theater credits include: The Cherry Orchard, A Christmas Carol (2014-2023), Rock ‘N’ Roll, Gas for Less, King Lear (Goodman Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Edward II, and Romeo & Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); The Good Book, The Illusion (Court Theatre); Julius Caesar, Hamlet, The Caretaker, Heartbreak House (Writers Theatre); Lookingglass Alice, 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas, Moby Dick, Blood Wedding, The Little Prince, Big Lake Big City, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, The Last Act of Lilka Kadison, Peter Pan (Lookingglass Theatre Company); Oklahoma! (Paramount Theater); Mother of the Maid (Northlight Theatre); A Disappearing Number, Blood and Gifts (TimeLine Theatre); Othello (The Gift); It’s a Wonderful Life, Oklahoma! (American Theater Company); The Skin of Our Teeth, The Real Thing (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company); Wedding Play (About Face Theatre Collective); Our Enemies, Back of the Throat, 10 Acrobats in an Amazing Leap of Faith (Silk Road Rising); and many others.
Regional credits: The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Three Musketeers, The Tempest (Illinois Shakespeare Festival); Love’s Labour’s Lost (Notre Dame Summer Shakespeare Festival); Stuff Happens, Julius Caesar (Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre); Cyrano De Bergerac, The Winter’s Tale, Taming of the Shrew, Jack & the Beanstalk, As You Like It, Romeo & Juliet (Orlando Shakespeare Theater). He has also appeared on TV in Chicago Fire (NBC) and feature films including The Merry Gentleman (dir. Michael Keaton).
Kareem is a member of Actors’ Equity Association as well as SAG/AFTRA. He is a 2022 Lunt-Fontanne Fellow and an Ensemble Member of Lookingglass Theatre Company where he serves on staff as Creative Producer – New Engagements. Kareem is also a playwright. His play, Act(s) of God, was produced at Lookingglass in 2019.
