Abdul-Khaliq “AK” Murtadha

akmurtadhago@gmail.com
https://akmurtadha.art/

Abdul-Khaliq “A.K.” Murtadha is a professional actor, director, producer, and educator whose work bridges classical training with contemporary performance practices. A Designated Linklater Teacher, he integrates the Linklater Voice Method as a foundational element in his teaching and performance, beginning with physical awareness and breath work to unlock vocal freedom and deepen emotional connection. This embodied voice work enhances his approach to the acting methodologies of Stanislavski, Meisner, Adler, and Strasberg, allowing for a more grounded, responsive, and authentic performance.

A.K. is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA, with a wide-ranging career in regional and repertory theatres across the U.S. His recent stage credits include Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in The Mountaintop (Utah Shakespeare Festival, WBTT), Duke Vincentio in Measure for Measure (Ensemble Theatre Company), and Claudius in Hamlet (Indianapolis Shakespeare Company). His screen work includes appearances in NCIS: LA, Days of Our Lives, The Unit, and the recent Shirley Chisholm biopic starring Academy Award-winning actress Regina King.

At Auburn University, Professor Murtadha teaches Voice and Movement, On-Camera Performance, and BFA studio intensives in the Department of Theatre and Dance. He also serves as Co-Artistic Director of The Mosaic Theatre Company,which creates original works exploring equity, inclusion, and social justice through collaborative performance.

His teaching spans K–12 education, university programs, private workshops, and community-based initiatives. He frequently incorporates Viewpoints and Theatre of the Oppressed techniques to devise socially engaged theatre in schools, prisons,and corporate settings. His MFA is from the University of California, San Diego, and his BA with honors is from Indiana University, Bloomington.

A.K. has worked as a dialect and voice coach, guest lecturer, and mentor to emerging artists. His original multimedia play The American Muslim Project was the featured residency at Indy Convergence in 2019. As a director and producer, he continues to develop new work across theatre and film, collaborating with artists and entrepreneurs on story development, marketing, and production. Whether on stage, in the classroom, or in the community, Abdul-Khaliq Murtadha is dedicated to empowering authentic expression through voice, story, and presence.