Ken Jones was born in Newport News, Virginia, and spent his formative years in the Southern United States, traversing the states of Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, and Kentucky. His educational journey began at Miami Palmetto Sr. High School in Miami, Florida, where he earned his diploma in 1980. His father, Don Jones, was a high-ranking corporate executive at Sears.
Jones' academic pursuits led him to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting/Directing from the University of Florida. He further honed his skills by obtaining a Master of Fine Arts degree in Playwriting from the University of Virginia and later graduated from the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University.
As a playwright, Jones has had an impressive 27 productions, with 10 of his plays published, 9 musicals, 4 CD's of original soundtrack scores, and numerous listings in anthologies and monologue books. His playwriting career began with the Off-Broadway production of "A Red Eagle Falling" at the Writer's Theatre in New York City, produced by the Project III Ensemble. His play "Darkside" was chosen as Time Magazine's Critic Choice and recognized as one of the Best Plays of the 1980s.
Jones was a member of the prestigious Warner Bros. Television Writer's Workshop and later served as the Head of Development for Light Point Entertainment at Disney/MGM Studios, overseeing the development and creation of content for animation, television, and film.
As a performer, Jones has had the opportunity to develop productions for the Broadway musicals "Finding Neverland" and "Steel." He has appeared in productions at regional theaters, including the American Repertory Theatre, Heritage Theatre, Commonwealth Theatre Company, and the Children's Theatre of Cincinnati. Additionally, he has voiced numerous characters for animated national television series.
Throughout his career, Jones has received a plethora of awards and accolades, including a Telly Award, numerous Communicator's Awards, the Post-Corbett Award for Best Literary Artist, a Delauney Playwriting Award, the Kentucky Playwright's Award, the Trailblazer Educator's Award, seven Acclaim Awards, two Emmy nominations, and numerous international awards for screenwriting and filmmaking.
Jones is an active member of the Dramatist Guild of America, the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He holds the esteemed position of Rosenthal Distinguished Professor of Theatre and Regent's Professor at NKU, where he served as the Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance for 11 years and founded the NKU School of the Arts.
In his personal life, Jones is married to Christine Jones and together they own and operate Table for Five Productions, which produces content for both stage and screen.
