Jared Watson is a proud 2004 graduate of the Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theater at the University of Oklahoma, where, in 2025, he was recognized as an Arts Luminary with an award highlighting his career accomplishments in celebration of the College of Fine Arts Centennial. He is a producer, director, actor, and designer who co-founded Stage Center and Stage Center’s School of Performing Arts, Shreveport, LA. He served as Artistic Director from its inception in 2012 and was promoted to Producing Artistic Director in 2020. He has produced and/or directed more than 100 productions in his current position, including musical and non-musical plays (and even a few film adaptions during the pandemic.) Most recently, he served as the associate director to longtime collaborator, Zhailon Levingston, on the NY City Center Encores! Production of Wonderful Town, starring Tony®-winner Anika Noni Rose. He first began working with the creative team as the assistant director/choreographer to his nationally renowned mentor, Lyn Cramer, on Smokey Joe’s Café (Lyric OKC), in addition to working with her on productions of Sweet Charity, Nine (OU), and more recently he produced her production of the farce POTUS (for Stage Center.) Before officially relocating back home from New York City, he represented many Broadway productions as a marketing associate for Broadway.com. He was also selected for the 2006 class of the Directors Lab at the prestigious Lincoln Center Theater. He has had the honor of working with many esteemed Tony®-winning professionals, including a casting internship with the Telsey Office, working on the Broadway and National productions of Wicked, The Color Purple, Rent, Leap of Faith, and the Off-Broadway revival of August Wilson’s Seven Guitars. He spent 5 seasons as a professional actor working with Lyric Theater of Oklahoma, appearing in 18 major musicals. He made his solo directorial debut in 2007 with the play Almost, Maine, for which he received the August Staub New Directors Award from the Southwest Theater and Film Association. Subsequently, Mr. Watson spent 2 years establishing the Talented Arts Program with a theater emphasis for the Bossier Parish School Board and currently serves as a state certified evaluator for that program in Northwest Louisiana. In 2011, Mr. Watson completed a directing residency with Shreveport Little Theater where he co-founded their academy, directing many productions for young people. He has also directed educational stage productions for Centenary College, and Peter Pan Players. His students have been internationally recognized with many awards for their work at the Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta, GA. Mr. Watson, who was honored as one of the top “40 Under 40” by the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce and the Young Professionals Initiative, and participated in the Observership Program of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, sits on the advisory board of BPCC Theatre. Along with his SC colleagues, he received a Special Resolution of Recognition by the Caddo Parish Commission when they declared January 5th, 2023, as 'Stage Center Day' in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, in recognition and in acknowledgement of the ongoing extraordinary contributions made by this institution, through which it has reflected much honor, prestige, and pride upon this community." He lives with his husband and collaborator, Seth Taylor, in his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana.