after this profile was originally published, Bruenau got back on her directing horse:
"since Rhinoceros I acted in Waiting for Lefty, directed Death of a Salesman, directed Riff Raff and will now get to (direct) Cloud Tectonics. I'm
also looking forward to being a part of an all-female King John in the Spring.." In the summer of 2006, she played Horatio in the Wooden O's Hamlet.
A: The ideal actor is the one who's going to know all their lines by heart - from the heart - a couple weeks before tech, who believes that the director is on their side and has just as much to gain or lose, and who trusts enough to try something with all they got before deciding it's inappropriate. The actor who loves and supports their fellow actors, and will do everything they can to make their scene partners look good and will make the important effort to get to know each other. Actors like Dina Maugeri, David Klein or Gavin Cummins.
to take a break from directing?
A: It's just a short break - to give me a bit more time and freedom to focus on my first year working at the Capitol Hill Arts Center. Working for a brand spankin' new organization takes everything ya got. I'd also been directing for a stretch when I decided to take a year off last fall. It's good to get some distance from the directin' role, the time to work with some other directors in town I admire, to learn from them. To fill the well and all that.
a. Getting legs waxed
b. A loved one who doesn't return a call right away
c. Not getting a call back
d. A bad review
A: B.
A: The ideal director has the rehearsal schedule mapped out before the first day of rehearsal because s/he's really thought it through and this allows me freedom to plan my life around my life. S/he will recognize that insecurity is not a bad thing, just a small hurdle. S/he will not disappear after opening night, because s/he's invested. S/he will not try to make me perform it the way s/he would do it, but will recognize my collaborative potential. More artistry - less puppetry. . . . Sheila Daniels is a muse - I could go on for days singing this woman's praises. Vince Balestri taught me volumes about ensemble building. Todd Jamieson taught me that acting is simply the art of discovery. Simple genius.
a. The script
b. Inner strength
c. The phone to call someone who can relate
d. A stiff drink
e. All of the above
f. Other
A: If acting - e) all of the above
If directing - f) Other: talk with my stage manager. S/he knows exactly what went wrong and why because s/he's been watching from day one. And I'll prolly call on my best bud Andy in San Francisco. He's always got the perfect solution, a good ear and buckets of empathy.
a. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
b. "Othello"
c. "The Odd Couple"
d. "Waiting for Godot"
e. "Grease"
A: d)