Kenneth L. Stilson

Librettist Playwright

Kenneth L. Stilson is the Executive Director of the Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival and Founding Chair of The Jeanine Larson Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre & Dance at Southeast Missouri State University. Perhaps best known as the author of the classic text, Acting Is Believing, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th editions, which has been adopted by more than 150 universities and colleges around the world, Stilson’s musical, An American Hero: a World War II musical was produced at the Acorn Theatre on Theatre Row as part of the New York Musical Festival, where it won the Best of Festival Award. Other Plays/Musicals include: Stage Door Johnny: a rock musical (with Mike Appel); Where the Lilies Grow (winner, Critics’ Choice Award, Edward Albee Theatre Festival); The Cow and the Milk; Murfie’s Law (winner, Southwest Playwriting Competition, Stage West Theatre, and winner, First Run Theatre New Play Festival); Bullets in Paradise; and several short plays. Screenplays include: Fire Lily (winner, Best Feature Film, American Artist Film Festival) and Interviewing Monsters (contributing writer). He also published Ezra Stone: a Theatre Biography. As a professional writer, director, and actor, his work has been seen from the Lincoln Center and Off-Broadway to Hollywood, CA. A proud member of The Dramatists Guild, Actors Equity Association, and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Stilson is also a professor of acting, directing, and musical theatre. He previously served as the Artistic Director of Fort Worth Shakespeare in the Park and as national chair of The Charles M. Getchell New Play Competition.

Highlights
  • Executive Director, Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival
  • Founding Chair, The Jeanine Larson Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre & Dance at Southeast Missouri State University
  • Musicals: An American Hero: a World War II musical and Stage Door Johnny: a rock musical
  • Plays: Murfie's Law; Where the Lilies Grow; Bullets in Paradise; The Cow and the Milk
  • Screenplays: Fire Lily; Interviewing Monsters
  • Books: Acting is Belieivng, 12th, 11th, 10th, 9th, & 8th editions; Ezra Stone: a Theatre Biography
  • Former Artistic Director, Fort Worth Shakespeare in the Park
  • Former National Chair, The Charles M. Getchell New Play Festival
  • Memberships: The Dramatists Guild; AEA; SDC