Dee Anne Bryll serves on the theatre faculties at Northern Kentucky University, Xavier University, the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music Preparatory Department (where she is the director of the Junior Musical Theatre Intensive Program as well as the High School Musical Theatre Workshop), the NKU School of the Arts Music Preparatory Program, and is a teaching guest artist for the School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Ms. Bryll holds a BA from Baldwin-Wallace College in Speech/Theatre Arts and an MA in Theatre from Kent State University.
An award-winning director, choreographer, actress, and teacher, her work includes Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Xavier University, Cincinnati Landmark Productions, Commonwealth Theatre Company, the Carnegie Theatre, and Falcon Theatre Company. Recent choreography credits include Tenderly: the Rosemary Clooney Musical, Pride and Prejudice, A Christmas Carol (all at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), and Sleeping Beauty (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati); “Ms. Bryll has been a director/choreographer for shows including Chicago, Falsettos, Parade, Big River, Singin' in the Rain, She Loves Me, Ragtime and this season's Godspell for Xavier University Theatre to name a few. In addition to her theatre choreography she has directed/choreographed productions for Kings Island Entertainment, including this past season’s Playlist, Live! and will direct Down Home Country in 2015.
Dee Anne has spent many years working with area high schools as a director and choreographer, directing such productions as Little Women, the Musical, Anything Goes, Leader of the Pack, Radium Girls, Meet Me in St. Louis, and Cheaper by the Dozen. In 2012 and 2013, Ms. Bryll had the pleasure of directing the mainstage musical (The Music Man, 2012 & Peter Pan, 2013) for the nationally recognized Cincinnati School for the Creative and Performing Arts.
As an actress, she has appeared in such roles as Elizabeth (Good Boys & True), Other Women (Later Life), Frances (Slasher), Bea (Ballroom), Louise (Always Patsy Cline), and Dixie (Hollywood Arms). She was the winner of the 2006 Cincinnati Entertainment Award for Outstanding Performance by a local actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for her portrayal of Maggie Jones in 42nd Street.
In addition to her teaching, directing and choreography credits, Dee Anne has served extensively as an adjudicator and workshop leader for the Ohio Community Theatre Association and, most notably, she presented workshops in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2014 for the Educational Theatre Association’s (EDTA) National Conventions in New York, Chicago, and Cincinnati. Her ‘cold reading’ workshop has been presented locally as well as for the West Virginia Theatre Conference.
Dee Anne has headed the Adjudication program for the Association of Community Theatres of Greater Cincinnati (ACT) for seven years as well as their Scholarship program for six years while serving as a Board member throughout. She received the Art Rouse Award (given by ACT for continuous service to the Cincinnati Theatre Community), has been a four-time ACT President’s Award winner and was awarded the Roger Grooms Award, for ongoing contribution to Theatre Education. Ms. Bryll also served on the Board and as the Gala Director for the Cappies of Cincinnati Organization from 2008-2011.
Dee Anne and her husband, Ed Cohen (with whom she frequently collaborates on theatre projects), were awarded the Acclaim Trailblazer Award in 2010 for their contributions to the Cincinnati theatre community. Their productions of Parade (co-produced by CCM & the Carnegie) and Chicago (Carnegie) were named by the League of Cincinnati Theatres as the Outstanding Musicals of the 2013 & 2014 Seasons in the Greater Cincinnati area.
Recent “empty nesters”, Dee Anne and her husband live in Hyde Park and enjoy traveling to visit family who are scattered across the county. Son Dan lives in Sacramento, CA with wife Kasmira and daughter, Briana, lives in Mariemont, Ohio.
Dee Anne is very proud that many of her students are pursuing careers in theatre as educators, as well as performers, choreographers, stage managers, and technicians on Broadway, regionally, and in university theatres.
