Ken Wenzel & Cross Kentucky Tickets

Ken Wenzel is a well-known theater director and educator who has worked in the industry for over 30 years. He holds an MFA in Directing from the University of Iowa and has directed productions at theaters across the country, including the Guthrie Theater, the Shakespeare Theatre Company, and the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

One of Wenzel's most notable contributions to the theater world has been his work with Cross Kentucky, a program he developed to bring theater to communities throughout the state. The program began in the early 2000s as a collaboration between the Kentucky Arts Council and the Kentucky Department of Education, with Wenzel serving as the artistic director.

The goal of Cross Kentucky was to provide students in rural and underserved areas with access to live theater performances and educational opportunities. Over the years, the program has brought a wide range of productions to more than 80 counties in Kentucky, including classics like Romeo and Juliet and contemporary works like The Laramie Project.

But Cross Kentucky wasn't just about bringing theater to these communities; it was also about empowering local educators and students to become active participants in the creative process. In addition to performances, the program offered workshops and masterclasses on topics like acting, directing, and playwriting.

Wenzel's leadership and vision were instrumental in making Cross Kentucky a success. He recognized the importance of reaching out to audiences that may not have had access to professional theater before and believed that theater could be a powerful tool for community engagement and education.

Today, Wenzel continues to advocate for the importance of theater in our communities. He has served as a faculty member at the University of Kentucky and is a frequent guest lecturer and workshop leader across the country. His dedication to the art form and his commitment to using theater to make a positive impact on people's lives serves as an inspiration to generations of theater practitioners and enthusiasts.