Chil Kong was born in Masan, South Korea. At the age of 8, he immigrated with his Parents and two Sisters to Virginia.
Once in Virginia, his Mother encouraged the children to sing as much as possible, in order to become fluent in the English language. A natural athlete, Mr. Kong played on his middle school football team. After being the recipient of 2 ‘blanket parties’ with his fellow teammates for looking ‘different’, he focused once again on music.
Throughout high school and college (he holds 2 degrees from Virginia Tech) he continued to perform as a singer and as a clog dancer. After graduation, he began his career as a copywriter with the prestigious Martin Agency in Richmond Virginia.
It was only when he attended an audition with a friend ‘on a lark’ and wound up getting the job that he decided to leave copywriting and pursue his dream. He auditioned and was accepted on a full scholarship from The Boston Conservatory in the Masters program for Direction and Musical Theater. He has never looked back.
Over the years, Mr. Kong has maintained a rigorous performance and directing schedule, and has held Artistic Director positions across the country. He is currently the Co-Artistic Director of Lodestone Theatre Ensemble with playwright and director, Philip W. Chung, which was founded in Los Angeles in 1999.
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