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“Most of the time you go to the theatre and you say, ‘I’ve seen that before,’ 
or, ‘Gosh, I could have done that,’” says Peter Schneider, former president of feature animation at Disney 
who has since returned to his first love, directing and producing theatre. 
“What’s so extraordinary about Ken  is that every time I see his work 
or even just talk to him—there’s no chance I could have done that. 
His mind is so interesting and unique and odd.” 


"While this website is focused on offering a somewhat comprehensive look at my work over many years, I hope that it also reflects and honors the incredible work by my profound mentors, warrior producers, magical directors and designers, and the incomparable performers that I've been blessed to work with. Ask me all about them! Together we created very special teams-communities-families that have made my life rich and worthwhile. I'm excited to be a part of another team, either as a leader or facilitator of another's inspired vision." - Ken
 
 

About Ken:
From his multiple new works commissions by LA's premiere theater company, Center Theater Group, 
to writing and directing feature film musicals, to performing in music videos for 
Florence + the Machine and System of a Down, Ken's interests and talents have brought him 
to many exciting arts venues around the U.S. and Europe, including New York City Opera, 
Disney Hall's REDCAT, and London's Bussey Building. 
(a comprehensive bio, below)


click: 3min Photo Stills Reel


film - theater - music - dance



 
 
click: music

 
 



Ken Roht, bio...
 
Aug '24
After three years, two arts grants and one star-turn as an operatic French dandy in small town northwest Ireland, 
Ken is back on the west coast of the U. S of A. 
From January 2018 to August 2020, he was the Producing Artistic Director of Daniel's Art Party, 
a professional, community-engagement, multimedia program 
at the Daniel Arts Center in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. 
He is currently creating online arts and entertainment.

Ken co-directed The Behavior of Broadus, co-produced by Center Theater Group, which was awarded Best Musical 
in Los Angeles and is now published by Samuel French. Ken received the Best Choreographer award. 
C.T.G. commissioned him twice, 
in 2014 and 2016, to write and direct progressive holiday musicals. And, he choreographed 
Moises Kaufman’s production of Bent at C.T.G.’s Mark Taper Forum.

As a filmmaker, Ken's film Perfect Cowboy screened opening weekend in Los Angeles’ OUTFEST, which celebrated Ken 
as one of their top five writer/directors to follow, "5 in Focus". An accomplished actor, Ken acted the title role.

Ken adapted, directed and choreographed Duke Ellington's Queenie Pie for Chicago Opera Theater, 
and the highly successful production of the Czech opera The Good Soldier Schweik at Long Beach Opera. 
Ken directed and choreographed an evening of Offenbach for Bard Summerscape Festival in New York, 
and his one-act opera Last Resort, in which he played a lead role, opened the first New Works Festival at Disney’s REDCAT.  
He is the creator and director of the celebrated 99c Shows, sponsored by the 99c Only Stores chain. 
Seven original musicals in eight years.

Ken was a recipient of the 2010 COLA grant from the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, 
for writing, directing and performing in a one-act opera, Permissible Union
He also received the 2003 Audrey Skirball Kenis $45,000 TIME Grant, 
awarded to only five others in the country. Ken has been granted and/or commissioned by Durfee Foundation, 
Common Ground Festival, Dance Theater Workshop, California Arts Council, 
and Evidence Room Theater.

Ken choreographed Monodramas and Moses in Egypt for New York City Opera,
 and Philharmonic 360 for New York Philharmonic, 
both for director/designer Michael Counts. Other choreography offerings include ones for New York’s Playwrights Horizons, 
La Jolla Playhouse, Yale Repertory, Opera Boston, Oregon Shakespeare Festival (seven seasons), 
Getty Villa, Kirk Douglas Theater and Lookingglass Theater in Chicago.

As a performer, Ken was a principal actor in videos by artists Bill Viola and Winsome Brown; 
danced in Florence + The Machine’s “What Kind of Man” video; and for British video artist Jacob Sutton, 
both choreographed by Ryan Heffington. Ken co-starred with an alligator in 
System of a Down's music video, "Beethoven's C*nt".  
He was a company member and choreographer, for seven years, for experimental theater auteur Reza Abdoh.

Ken has led Master Classes for California Institute of the Arts, AMDA Conservatory, Occidental College, University of Oregon, 
CSU Summer Arts, Cal State Los Angeles, University of South Dakota, Augustana College, Wichita State University,
 Cal State Northridge and Spaufford Detention Center, Brooklyn, New York.