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RUSSELL VANDENBROUCKE |
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Nationality: USA Email: Click here to contact Website: n/a |
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Literary Agent: n/a |
Russell Vandenbroucke spent eleven seasons as artistic director of Chicago's Northlight Theatre where he directed such plays as the Philoctetes of Sophocles, Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, Anna Deavere Smith's Fires in the Mirror, and the world premieres of Arnold Wesker's Three Women Talking (also for radio) and Martha Boesing's My Other Heart, supported by the Kennedy Center's Fund for New American Plays. Regional theatre productions include Proof and A Christmas Carol for Virginia State Company, The Blood Knot at Marin Theatre Company, and Snapshot for the Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville. He began his career as Assistant Literary Manager of the Yale Repertory Theatre, later becoming Literary Manager of the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and Producer of its literary cabaret. From there he became Associate Producer of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. As a playwright, he is the author of Feiffer's America and Eleanor: In Her Own Words, adapted from the writings of Eleanor Roosevelt, which won a Los Angeles Emmy and was broadcast on the "American Playhouse" series. His play Atomic Bombers commemorated the 50th anniversary of Hiroshima on radio and opened Northlight's first permanent theatre. Holiday Memories, his stage version of two Truman Capote stories, has been produced throughout the country. He has also adapted Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People. His books include Truths the Hand Can Touch: The Theatre of Athol Fugard, Contemporary Australian Plays (editor), and The Theatre Quotation Book: A Treasury of Insights and Insults. He holds degrees from the University of Illinois, Warwick University in Coventry, England, and the Yale School of Drama. He traveled to Finland, Rumania, and (then) East Germany for the State Department in 1986, was a Fulbright Scholar in Australia in 1996, and covered Italy's Spoleto Festival for American Theatre magazine in 2000 and the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa, in 2003. Actors' Equity Association commended his leadership of Northlight Theatre "For Its Innovative Casting Practices and for Its Hiring of Women and People of Color." In 2001 he joined the University of Louisville as Professor and Chair of the Theatre Arts Department in 2001. There he wrote and directed a new version in verse of The Trojan Women by Euripides. With a company of actors he also created and directed School Play, inspired by the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision ending school segregation. After touring Louisville middle and high schools, it was performed in Moscow and Perm in Russia. His lifelong commitment to peace and justice is reflected in plays he has written, directed, and produced. In 2007 he traveled to Bangkok, Thailand, to participate in the program of the Rotary Center for Peace and Conflict Studies at Chulalongkorn University.
Plays by Russell Vandenbroucke
Atomic Bombers | ||
| 1st Produced: | Northshore Center for the Performing Arts, Chicago | 1997 | ||||
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| 1st Published: | LA Theatre Works (radio version), 1997 | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #75831 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Historical tragi-comedy Historical | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 8 | Female | 2 | ||
Parts other: | Can expand to up to 12 men and 5 women without doubling | |||||
Notes: | Atomic Bombers was broadcast on radio by Los Angeles Theatre Works, "The Play's the Thing," to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Hiroshima. Atomic Bombers is informed by scores of books, articles, and reminiscences, but the author is especially indebted to Richard P. Feynman for his permission to use Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman. | |||||
Synopsis: | Atomic Bombers dramatizes the behind-the-scenes lives of the extraordinary team | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Eleanor Roosevelt: In Her Own Words | ||
| 1st Produced: | Coronet Theatre, Chicago | 1990 | ||||
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| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #75832 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | One-woman show | |||||
| Parts: | Male | - | Female | 1 | ||
Parts other: | Also voice-overs of average Americans and Franklin Delano Roosevelt | |||||
Notes: | Unit set. An earlier version of Eleanor starring Lee Remick was telecast on the "American Playhouse" series of P.B.S. (Public Broadcasting System) and won a Los Angeles Emmy Award | |||||
Synopsis: | Originally created to celebrate Eleanor Roosevelt's centennial, this tribute to the wit, humanity, and wisdom of an extraordinary woman is based on her own words. These are drawn from her autobiographies and reminiscences, newspaper columns and magazine articles, speeches and public utterances. Through them Eleanor tracks the development of a gawky girl into a polished figure committed to civil rights at home and human rights abroad. Whether offering advice to her husband about social policy, to United Nations delegates about the International Declaration of Human Rights, or to young girls uncertain about dating etiquette, she retains a sense of humor, especially about herself. From her private White House office during Act One to her beloved Val-Kill for Act Two, Eleanor reveals an unforgettable woman who evolved from America's First Lady in her middle years to "The First Lady of the World" in her later ones. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Enemy of the People, An | ||
| 1st Produced: | Coronet Theatre, Chicago | 1991 | ||||
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| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #75833 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Adaptation | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 7 | Female | 2 | ||
Parts other: | 1 boy. Townspeople: 4m, 2w | |||||
Notes: | Original Playwright - Henrik Ibsen. This American adaptation is based on the translation by Jerry Turner. The cast represents a variety of races and ethnic groups. | |||||
Synopsis: | This American adaptation retains the 1880s period of Ibsen's masterpiece but moves the action from a small town on Norway's coast to Chicago on Lake Michigan's shore. The potential boom of increased tourism remains as does the looming threat to the environment. These pit two brothers against each other: The mayor who leads the city and the physician who discovers the threat to its well-being struggle against each other to win their community's support. Which is more important: immediate economic growth or long-term health, which can only be assured through huge public expenditures? Ibsen's epic battle plays out against the shifting allegiance of the media. In a metropolis filled with immigrants from diverse backgrounds, An Enemy of the People becomes an uneasy exploration of democracy itself. What does it mean when the majority rules even if it is wrong? | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Holiday Memories | ||
| 1st Produced: | Coronet Theatre, Chicago | 1991 | ||||
Company: | ||||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #75834 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Adaptation | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 3 | Female | 2 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | Stage version of Truman Capote stories | |||||
Synopsis: | Adapted from two of America's finest short stories, Holiday Memories dramatizes Truman Capote's autobiographical reminisces of his moving friendship with Miss Sook, an elderly cousin whose home becomes his own. In "The Thanksgiving Visitor," Buddy (Miss Sook's name for the young Capote) experiences the truth about intentional cruelty and forgiveness when a school bully joins the extended family for its holiday feast. In "A Christmas Memory," Buddy and Miss Sook plunge into the baking, decorating, and making of gifts by hand that constitute their most cherished holiday traditions. Set in a rural household during November and December of 1932, these poetic tales celebrate the simple pleasures of the season and honor the poignant lessons of a friendship that lasted a lifetime . . . and ever after. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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School Play | ||
| 1st Produced: | Thrust Theatre, Louisville | 2004 | ||||
Company: | University of Louisville | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #75835 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Play/Drama | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 9 | Female | 13 | ||
Parts other: | Doubling can make the cast as few as 5m, 8w. | |||||
Notes: | A condensed version of the script for 1m and 4w toured the U.S. and Russia in 2005 and 2006. Casting Note: In a play that deals with race and ethnicity, a diverse cast is essential. Future productions may follow the original scheme, but directors are also encouraged to reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of their own communities. | |||||
Synopsis: | Inspired by the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. The Board of Education that ended segregation, School Play, explores the racial and ethnic dynamics within a contemporary American high school. It focuses on the diverse students and teacher of a single homeroom and their vibrant interactions with each other, teachers, and their parents. It culminates with a school dance. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Trojan Women, The | ||
| 1st Produced: | Playhouse Theatre, Louisville | 2004 | ||||
Company: | University of Louisville | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #75836 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Adaptation | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 3 | Female | 5 | ||
Parts other: | 1 boy. chorus of 3-12. soldiers | |||||
Notes: | Original Playwright - Euripides. This version of the play in verse is based on the prose translation of S.A. Barlow. The play has superb roles for women. | |||||
Synopsis: | Adapted from Euripides and written in contemporary American verse, The Trojan Women dramatizes the aftermath of the Trojan War by focusing on Hecuba, widow of Troy's King Priam, her immediate family, and all the women who survived the war. As if losing the war, her husband, and son were not enough, Hecuba must also endure the madness of her daughter Cassandra and the murder of her little grandson, the last surviving male of Troy. By implication this great tragedy reveals the destruction and loss awaiting any person who survives any war. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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