Brandon Bruce
Assistant Professor
What I do
Assistant Professor of Theatre (Directing & Acting) and professional freelance director, actor, fight/intimacy choreographer, sound designer, arts leader, and playwright.
Specialization(s)
Directing, Acting, stage directing
Professional Biography
Bruce previously served as Assistant Professor of Directing, Theatre History & Playwriting at Utah Tech University. Prior to his work at Utah Tech, Brandon served as artistic director of 4 professional theatres, including the Birmingham Children's Theatre, Colonial Williamsburg's theatrical programming, and Chicago's Strawdog and BackStage Theatres. Beyond these positions, Brandon has directed and acted for theatres across the country, including the Denver Theatre Ensemble, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, the Center for the Arts at Kayenta, Tumbleweed Theatre, Birmingham Festival Theatre, Park Square Theatre, Richmond Shakespeare, Cleveland Play House, Shattered Globe Theatre, the Chopin Theatre, Iowa Rep, Porthouse Theatre, and Signal Ensemble Theatre.
Degree(s)
- MFA, Directing, University of Iowa, 2010
- BFA, Acting, Kent State University, 1998
Licensure / Accreditations
- Certified Teacher of the Michael Chekhov Acting Technique
Professional Affiliations
- Dramatists Guild of America
- Society of Directors & Choreographers
- Association for Theatre in Higher Education
Research
Bruce's research is largely focused on creating “poor theatre.” Inspired by Jerzy Grotowski’s psychophysical approach to creating theatre, Bruce is compelled to create “poor theatre” or what could also be termed “performer-generated spectacle.” In support of this interest, Bruce continues to pursue further training and research into the disciplines of Michael Chekhov, physical theatre (including clowning, stage combat, theatrical intimacy, mask work), Tadashi Suzuki, and newer digitally driven forms, such as augmented reality theatre.
Performances
Bruce, B. (2026). Medea: A Reckoning, a new adaptation of Euripides’ play by Brandon Bruce. University of Denver. Denver, Colorado.
Bruce, B. (2026). Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Boulder, CO.
Bruce, B. (2026) Friends/Romans/Countrymen by David Davalos. Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Boulder, CO.
Bruce, B. (2026) The Orbital Decay of Saturn by Rook Reilley. Denver Theatre Ensemble. Denver, CO.
Bruce, B. (2025) Bill’s Joe by Brandon Bruce. ProEnglish Theatre. Kyiv, Ukraine.
Bruce, B. (2025) Pinocchio by Brandon Bruce. Tumbleweed Theatre. St. George, UT.
Presentations
Bruce, B. (2026). The Tools of Michael Chekhov. Presentation/Workshop. Southeastern Theatre Conference, Chattanooga, TN.
