He became resident director of the Indiana Repertory Theatre where he directed, served as the theater's literary manager and taught acting.
He became a series director on ABC's Home Improvement, produced and directed NBC'S Working, Soul Man, among others, and dozens of other prime time programs, including episodes of Friends, Caroline in the City, Suddenly Susan, Jesse, The Single Guy, In The House, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, DAG, Madigan Men, Sabrina, The Tick, The George Lopze Show, Phil Of The Future and Wizards Of Waverly Place.
In Los Angeles, Tsao was invited to direct two productions for Shakespeare Festival L.A. (The Tempest, and Julius Caesar) a world premiere opera for Los Angeles Opera (On Gold Mountain), He directed two short films: Brightness which was awarded the Gold Special Jury Prize for 2001 at the WorldFest in Houston and Solstice.
Theater credits include the world premiere of Theodore Drieser's Sister Carrie for Indiana Rep, and The Tempest at East West Players in Los Angeles, The Merry Wives Of Windsor for Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Nilo Cruz's adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings for Center Theater Group in Los Angeles.
In 2003 and 2004, Tsao was an executive consultant and creative director for The Walsin Company in Shanghai, where he oversaw the development of themed entertainment concepts for a multimillion-dollar commercial real estate project.