Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
Wasserman, Bryna
Montreal-based director, born in Vienna, artistic director of the Yiddish Theatre and of the Saidye Bronfman Centre /SBC (1998-)
She grew up around productions at the Yiddish, which her mother, Dora , founded and directed until suffering a stroke in 1996. She studied at the Tisch School of Fine Arts (NYU) before working at theatres around the world including the Vivian Beaumont at Lincoln Centre, Mercer Street, Vancouver Opera House, American Place and four seasons at the Folksbiene Playhouse. Among her New York credits are Arrabal's The Architect and the Emperor of Assyria, Narrow Road to the Deep South, Wözzeck, The House of Bernarda Alba and Bernstein on Broadway.
In New York she directed The Architect and the Emperor of Assyria, The Karl Marx Play, Wojzeck and The House of Bernarda Alba among others.
Among the productions she has directed at the Yiddish are Mirele Efros, The Sages of Chelm, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, The Threepenny Opera, The Dybbuk and Old Wicked Songs.
An ideal director of large-cast community theatre (recently, the huge The Great Houdini - March, 2000), Ms Wasserman has also proven herself a subtle, thoroughly professional and intelligent director of small drama (Wicked...). She is also supportive of developing artistic talent and to this end directs Young Actors for Young Audiences and includes emerging theatre professionals in all her productions.
Ms Wasserman instituted a series of exciting initiatives, for her 1999-2000 season as head of the SBC, including bringing in Soulpepper , housing Bill Glassco 's new Montreal Young Company at the house, and co-producing with Winnipeg Jewish Theatre . For this, she received the Montreal English Critics Circle Award for distinction (her production of Houdini... also won the award for best production, amateur or semi-professional).
Last updated 2009-09-15
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