Kenneth Urso

Ken has served as director, actor, guest artist and dramaturg internationally and throughout the United States. He received his BFA in Acting from the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point and his MFA in Directing from the prestigious Actors Studio Drama School, home of Bravo’s Inside the Actors Studio.

Prolific in a number of styles and genres, from large musicals including Chicago and The Producers, to intimate dramas such as The Shape of Things and Never the Sinner, Ken’s aesthetic is to incorporate multi-media, including projections, live musicians, and cinematic staging to breathe life into the narrative of strong theatrical pieces. His vast experience in stage design, along with his three years of vigorous training with actors at ASDS, allows him to create completely theatrical pieces where the environment tells as much of the story as the characters do.

New York directing credits include Worth House, Amicable Parting, Getting Behind, Kidnapping Laura Linney, and Gay Camp. Regional credits include Never the Sinner, Always…Patsy Cline, Mamma Mia!, The Producers, Matilda and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). In the summer of 2014, he directed the world premiere of The House of Murgatroyd, an adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddygore, which opened at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Harrogate, England, where it received rave reviews.

Ken was hired by Colby College in the Fall of 2016 to pilot an arts incubator program for new musicals. He mentored the writer and composer of Lost With You: The Musical.  He then directed the production, which featured choreography by Andrew Cao (Broadway: Aladdin, Anything Goes, Nice Work If You Can Get It) and music direction by Kimberly Grigsby (Broadway: Spring Awakening, Grease, Aemlie). Songs from the show were featured at Jazz at Lincoln Center later that year.

In 2018, Ken was named Associate Artistic Director of the Actors Studio Drama School Repertory Season which produces twelve to fifteen productions a season. He mentored over twenty five productions during this tenure. On top of choosing the season and working with the artists, he created and moderated the New Works Talkback Series which allows audiences to connect with up-and-coming playwrights and learn more about the artistic process.