Wayne Brinda, Ed.D.
Stage Director, Producer, Educator, Holocaust Teaching Fellow
Directing Vision
My approach to directing is as a collaborative storyteller. The most comfortable genres are
dramas, comedies and mysteries while having successfully directed several world and regional
premieres. While leading a team of designers, guest directors, and actors the goal is to tell
stories in the most effective way that will engage and entertain audiences with high quality
production values and performances.
I seek to cast the finest talent available by following age-appropriate casting and "color
conscience casting. Actors are challenged, nurtured, and supported to do their finest work so
the production quality is maintained as they grow through the production’s run.
Antigone
Producing Vision
As Co-founder/ Producing Artistic Director of Prime Stage, my approach to producing is to
locate, select, and create theatrical experiences that bring literature and history to life.
By producing over 100 world premieres, regional premieres and popular stories through
networking with national and international theatres along with playwrights, the experiences
become inspiring journeys through imaginative worlds which entertain, enrich, and educate
culturally, ethnically, and economically diverse audiences of youths, adults, families, and
educators as they discover new ideas, new worlds, and new experiences. Enriching the plays
with unique programs extend and amplify the audience experience. Securing community
partners and special guests who meet with artistic teams and lead audience discussions ensure
accuracy, raise awareness, and spark conversation at the theatre and beyond.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Special guests have included Richard Blair, the son of George Orwell during "1984,"
Dr. Maya Angelou’s grandchildren during "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," relatives of Sojourner Truth inspired the actors and actors for "Sojourner," and Charlotte Jones Voiklis shared the experiences of her grandmother Madeline L’Engle while writing "A Wrinkle in Time."
My passion to ensure theatre meets the needs, interests, and inspires those with special needs is achieved with the Prime Stage Accessibility programs with Audio Described, ASL Interpreted and Sensory Inclusive performances and this season will include Live captioned performances guided by the Helen Keller National Center. By inspiring our teams to imaginatively bring these stories and experiences to life,
I am always excited to see how our published plays expand opportunities for other theatres and their audiences.
Educating Vision
Teaching philosophy:
Parker Palmer, in The Courage to Teach, wrote: “Good teachers possess a capacity for connectedness. They are able to weave a complex web of connections among themselves, their subjects, and their students so that the students can learn to weave a world for themselves” (11). As a guide and facilitator, the teacher provides leadership, challenges, inspiration, and encouragement for students and educators to become skilled, confident readers, writers, and learners throughout their life-time as they realize the importance of taking the initiate to cultivate partnerships with colleagues and the community so they see their worlds, and the worlds of others.
The goals are to build the strengths, talents, and interests of individual students so they can work collaboratively, creatively, enthusiastically, and confidently by channeling their energies, curiosities, and interests toward paths of personal discoveries.
Holocaust Education
Museum Teaching Fellow of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC
As a Museum Teaching Fellow of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum class of 2004-05,
I am proud to engage teachers and students in studies of the Holocaust using a blend of history, literature and theater. Presentations include strategies that bring understanding, empathy, and truth to the victims, the survivors, the Righteous Gentiles and liberators.
As stated by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, "Because the objective of teaching any subject is to engage the intellectual curiosity of students in order to inspire critical thought and personal growth . . . the Holocaust provides one of the most effective subjects for examining basic moral issues. A structured inquiry into this history yields critical lessons for an investigation into human behavior. It also addresses one of the central mandates of education in the United States, which is to examine what it means to be a responsible citizen." (https://www.ushmm.org/educators/teaching-about-the-holocaust/why-teach-about-the-holocaust)
