About Bruce Hermann
History:
Bruce studied acting with the legendary Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York. Later he apprenticed as a teaching assistant to Mr. Meisner, Richard Pinter, and Ron Stetson at the Playhouse, and James Price (at the Acting Studio.) In 1988, he joined the acting faculty of the Neighborhood Playhouse. Over the years, Bruce has taught at private studios in Los Angeles and New York, as well as several top university programs. In 1998, Bruce received an MFA degree in Directing from Virginia Commonwealth University. From 1998 to 2005 Bruce taught acting and directing in both undergraduate (BA) and graduate (MFA) acting programs of the Department of Theatre at The Ohio State University. In 2005 he was recipient of The Ohio State University Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching (chosen from over 7000 University faculty) and invited to become a member of the OSU Academy of Teaching.
Experience:
In addition to his teaching career, Bruce has maintained a vital professional career in both acting and directing. Bruce has acted over seventy-five roles on stage and directed over thirty plays.
Recently acted roles include: Werner Heisenberg in Michael Fryan's COPENHAGEN at CATCO in Columbus (Best Play, GCAC); Smits in Chris Dickman's A SET OF THOUGHTFUL GUIDELINES FOR LIVING A HAPPY LIFE and Father Welsh in Martin McDonough's LONESOME WEST at Red Herring; Russ Rigel in William Mastrosimone's LIKE TOTALLY WEIRD at Red Herring (Best Actor, COCC), and Bottom in Shakespeare's MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM at the Virginia Arts Festival with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra (also done in Buffalo, NY with the Buffalo Philharmonic.) Bruce has performed throughout the United States and toured Europe, including a stint at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1997. Recent directing credits include: Rebecca Gilman's SPINNING INTO BUTTER at Saint Michael's Playhouse, Burlington, Vermont; Neil LaBute's THE SHAPE OF THINGS at Red Herring (2004 Best Director, COCC); MEASURE FOR MEASURE at OSU; OXYGEN by Nobel Laureate Roald Hoffman and Carl Djerassi at OSU; Jane Martin's ANTON IN SHOW BUSINESS at Red Herring; and Oyamo's I AM A MAN at TheatreVCU, Richmond. Bruce has directed the works of Shakespeare, Chekhov, Lanford Wilson, Rebecca Gilman, Eugene O'Neill, Arthur Miller, Henrick Ibsen, and Brendan Behan, among many others.
Bruce has also worked extensively with many of the great theatre artists in the world, including: Anne Bogart and SITI Company, Dadakamara (Toronto), Complicite (London), Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal Court, and Wooster Group.
Since moving to Los Angeles in the fall of 2005, Bruce has opened his own studio in Venice to continue teaching and coaching actors.