Kengo Uehara
Film / Theatre / Visual Arts
Click each project title for details
Metamorphosis by Steven Berkoff (Theatre Production)
February 20–21, 2026 @Studio Theatre, Knox College- Directed and organized the production, leading a team of approximately 15 people
- Integrated projection design into the production, exploring the intersection of cinematic and theatrical languages
- Collaborated with two musicians to incorporate live music into the production
- Led a seven-week rehearsal process and staged twice at Knox College Studio Theatre
Photo by Shaswot Karki
Hold These Truths by Jeanne Sakata
(Theatre One-Man Production)
October 11–12, 2024 @Studio Theatre, Knox CollegeOne-man show based on the true story of Gordon Hirabayashi, who challenged the constitutionality of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and fought for civil liberties through the U.S. legal system- Directed, designed, and performed in a two-hour one-man show, staged twice at Knox College Studio Theatre
- Aimed to foster community dialogue around issues of the Constitution, justice, discrimination, and peaceThe work was inspired by my participation in the research program, Japanese American History in Chicago (2023):
https://japaneseamericanchicago.knoxabolitionlab.org/
Photo by Mai Hasegawa
The Filter (Filmmaking)
- Co-wrote and co-directed a short film exploring themes of isolation and human connection
- Founded the production team and developed the story concept and screenplayThe film follows a man who struggles with human connection and tends to escape into photography as a way of coping with his struggles. The action of taking photographs becomes a gateway into an illusory space that forces him to confront something he has been avoiding. Through this experience, he undergoes a shift in how he relates to others and to himself.Directors: Kengo Uehara and Haruko Sawa
Screenwriters: Kengo Uehara, Haruko Sawa, Lucas Dahlborg, and Bill Carruthers
God Bless the Child
(Lighting Design for Dance Performance)
Designed lighting for a dance performance in the Knox College Dance Department concert, Dances for Social Change
Contact
[email protected]English / Japanese
About
Some stories end. Others stay with us.One Japanese drama has stayed with me for years. Its characters, images, and ideas continue to shape how I see myself and the world around me. As a filmmaker and artist, I hope to create work that resonates with audiences over time, as that story has done for me.Born and raised in Okinawa, Japan, I moved to the United States in 2022 to pursue storytelling across theatre, film, and other visual media. My recent work focuses on the intersection between theatre and film. I am interested in how live performance and moving images can interact to create new ways of experiencing a story. In my recent production of Metamorphosis by Steven Berkoff, I explored this relationship by creating moments in which actors engaged directly with projected video.I am currently pursuing opportunities to develop stories across film, advertising, and exhibition-based projects. I am always excited to collaborate with filmmakers and artists who are interested in exploring new forms of storytelling.
Kengo Uehara is a filmmaker and theatre artist from Okinawa, Japan. He earned a B.A. in Theatre with a minor in Digital Media Arts from Knox College in 2026.
His recent theatre works include Steven Berkoff’s Metamorphosis (director) and Jeanne Sakata’s Hold These Truths (actor, scenic designer, and director). He also co-wrote and co-directed the short film The Filter. During Knox College’s Repertory Theatre Term, he appeared as Steve in Qui Nguyen’s She Kills Monsters, directed by Liz Carlin Metz, and served as assistant stage manager for Jean Anouilh’s Antigone, directed by Deana Nichols.
In 2024, Kengo participated in the Drumming & Dance in Ghana Program through the Knox College Music and Dance Departments, traveling to Ghana to study traditional Ghanaian performing arts. In the winter of 2025, he interned at TV TOKYO Corporation, where he analyzed content development strategies and presented ideas on how intellectual property drives global media and entertainment businesses.
Kengo has played the trombone since the age of nine. At Knox, he performed with the Knox College Jazz Ensemble and founded trombone ensemble groups. Before coming to the United States, he served as president of his middle and high school wind orchestras. In 2018, he received a full scholarship from the Okinawan government to study music in Germany as part of the Global Leadership Development Overseas Program, Music Division.
Kengo is also known for his surprisingly good massage skills. At college, he often practiced English with his roommate while giving shoulder massages in return.
