Josh Turner, an Atlanta native, earned his BFA in Acting from the Gainesville Theatre Alliance. His passion for storytelling began early, inspired by his grandfather, Ural Smith Jr., leading him to believe that great stories can change lives and touch hearts.

 

As an emerging theater artist, Josh embraces the versatility of theater practitioners without compromising expertise and precision. He works as a Director, Actor, Stage Manager, Carpenter, and Playwright, committed to telling meaningful stories through genuine collaboration and heartfelt engagement.

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Josh has performed in award-winning productions such as "The New Black Fest’s Hands Up: 7 Playwrights/7 Testaments," which was staged at the Tony Award-winning Alliance Theatre and received a Suzi Bass Award for Outstanding Social Justice Production.

 

​As a director, his credits include new works like The Just Us League (Gainesville Theatre Alliance), Death Surrogates (University of Iowa), Spells For Going Forth by Daylight (UIowa New Play Festival), and Adaku (UIowa New Play Festival), as well as classics like Dutchman (Iowa Director’s Festival) and It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (AD Players Theatre).

 

Josh is currently pursuing his MFA in Directing at the University of Iowa (Graduates May 2026).