JACK YOUNG
Biography
Jack Young is a Full Professor of Acting for the University of Houston’s School of Theatre & Dance.
His students have been seen on Broadway, national and international tours, Stratford (Canada and England), LORT theaters and in feature films and television. He has led professional actor training programs at Ohio University, The Warehouse Theatre, and Duke University. During his tenure as Artistic Director of Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, the company raised $1 million for its first endowment. In his ten seasons as Artistic and Executive Director of The Warehouse Theatre, he produced over 125 plays and raised $1.8 million for the company's award-winning new home in Greenville, South Carolina 's Historic West End.
Young has been an actor, director or fight director for twelve different Shakespeare Festivals. He has acted for theaters from Seattle to South Carolina, including leading roles in OTHELLO, AWAKE & SING!, TALLEY'S FOLLY, BABY AND THE BATHWATER, ART, HARVEY, DEATH OF A SALESMAN and the title roles in KING LEAR, MACBETH and RICHARD III. He was nominated for “Best Actor in a Leading Role” for his performance as Shylock in SPEED MERCHANT (of Venice) with Los Angeles’s ACTION! Theatre Company.
Mr. Young has directed over 125 directing productions (30 of Shakespeare), including HAMLET, A FLEA IN HER EAR, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, ARCADIA, THE ODYSSEY, THE CHERRY ORCHARD, FOOL FOR LOVE, THE SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS and the NYC premiere of Yussef El-Guindi’s HOSTAGES. A Certified Teacher and Fight Director for the Society of American Fight Directors, he has choreographed violence for over 150 productions. He serves as the Sword Safety Instructor for the Houston Ballet.
His training includes a BA in Theatre from Virginia Tech, Apprenticeship at Actors Theatre of Louisville, an MFA from the Professional Actor Training Program at the University of Washington under Bob Hobbs, and additional training with Anne Bogart and the SITI Company.
Young is the recipient of the University of Houston Alumni Association Distinguished Teaching Award, and the University Teaching Excellence Award, UH's highest teaching honor.