Russell Vandenbroucke

Russell Vandenbroucke () is an American theatre researcher, director, dramaturg, playwright.

Biography

Vandenbroucke holds degrees from the University of Illinois, Warwick University in Coventry, England, and the Yale School of Drama, where he earned his Doctor of Fine Arts. He has worked as a director, dramaturg, playwright, and producer at a number of regional theatres across the country.

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 and in 2001 joined the University of Louisville as Professor and Chair of the Theatre Arts Department. He was also artistic director for Chicago’s Northlight Theatre for eleven seasons.

At various times he was a Fulbright Scholar in Australia; a Rotary Foundation World Peace Fellow in Thailand where he adapted and directed An Evening with Global Peacemakers; covered Italy’s Spoleto Festival and the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa, for American Theatre magazine; delivered talks and presentations in Finland, Romania, and (then) East Germany for the State Department; traveled to Israel and Palestine through the Palestine American Research Center); and gave a series of talks on engaged art, American culture, and critical thinking in Vietnam and Japan, where he also made pilgrimages to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

As a professor at the University of Louisville in the USA, he teaches courses in script analysis, applied theatre, the enjoyment of theatre, and playwriting. He is Founding Director of the university’s Peace, Justice & Conflict Transformation Program.

Contribution to South African theatre, film, media and performance

He published three books, the most relevant to South Africa being Truths the Hand Can Touch: The Theatre of Athol Fugard (Theatre Communications Group, 1986)

Besides his thesis/book, he has published a number of articles on South Africa and its theatre over the years, many on Athol Fugard in th earlier years. Among them have been:

"A Brief Chronology of the Theatre in South Africa", "Chiaroscuro, a Portrait of South African Theater" and "A Selected Bibliography of the South African Theatre" (Theatre Quarterly 7 (28), 44-54, 94-95: 1977);

"South African Blacksploitation" (Theater 8 (1), 68-71: 1976);

"Robert Zwelinzima Is Alive: A Review of Sizwe Banzi Is Dead and The Island" (Theater 7 (1), 115-123: 1975)

"In Dialogue with Himself: Athol Fugard's Notebooks (Theater 16 (1), 43-48: 1984)

"Athol Fugard: the director collaborates with his actors" (Theater 14 (1), 32-40: 1982)

"Introduction: African Theatre?" (Theater 8 (1), 6-10: 1976)

"Athol Fugard: Bibliography, Biography, Playography" (TQ publications)

Sources

Russell Vandenbroucke 1986. Truths the Hand Can Touch: The Theatre of Athol Fugard. Theatre Communications Group

https://russvan.wordpress.com/about/

https://louisville.edu/theatrearts/about/faculty/vandenbroucke

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