Jose Mercado is founder of Labyrinth Arts Academy and is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre, Film & Video Production at the University of Colorado-Denver. He teaches acting for the stage and camera and recently directed Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors with a fun and unique twist at CU-Denver. Prior to joining the CU faculty, Mercado led the theater program at North High School, directing Zoot Suit Riots, the first high school production to play at the Buell Theatre. Other directing credits at North include The House on Mango Street with costumes by Mona Lucero and an original, student created hip-hop show called One Love. He worked as an actor in L.A. after earning his M.F.A. in Theater from UCLA, where he won the Jack Nicholson Prize in Acting, and later performed on stage with Kathleen Chalfant in Wit, and in two productions with Megan Mullally: Mayhem and The Berlin Circle. He is winner of the Denver Ovation Award and the 2007 Inspirational Teacher Award in Denver.