Brennan Murphy

Brennan Murphy has had a professional career in the performing arts for the past six decades that has encompassed theatre, dance, and training in higher education. His career has allowed him to travel the globe teaching and working in the USA, the UK, and Australia. His working years have also allowed him to work with and be influenced by seminal artists of the 20th and 21st Centuries: Angela Lansbury, Colleen Dewhurst, Jason Robards, Jose Quintero, Hal Prince, Robert Joffrey, and several artists of the stage, screen, and dance world.

Before entering academia, Brennan worked as a professional actor for over 20 years in New York City and at regional theaters around the United States. As an actor, Murphy has performed in over one hundred productions, including stage productions, commercials, numerous workshops of new plays, and several experimental venues. On Broadway, he was a featured actor in Angela Lansbury's revival of Mame at the Gershwin Theatre. He followed that up a few years later at the Martin Beck Theatre in Take Me Along, the musical version of Eugene O'Neill's classic, Ah, Wilderness! Another highlight of his performing career was the critically acclaimed production of Candide, directed by Harold Prince and performed with the New York City Opera at Lincoln Center. Long before devising came into vogue, Brennan was a founding member of two of New York City’s 1980 and 90s innovative experimental theatre companies, Cucaracha Theatre, and the Gertrude Stein Repertory Theatre. Sadly, these companies no longer exist. He fondly recalls the exciting creation of numerous new works and restaging of works by Ranier Werner Fassbinder, Gertrude Stein, Peter Mattei, Annie-B. Parson, and Paul Lazar.

Studying dance in Seattle, Brennan worked with many great American dance professionals of the 20th century: Ruthanna Boris, Tommy Rall, Perry Brunson, and Jo Emery. In 1977, at an early age, he moved to New York City to study and perform with the Joffrey Ballet. He collaborated with amazing teachers and coaches: Robert Joffrey, Meredith Bayliss, Ann Reinking, David Howard, Maggie Black, Gwen Verdon, Pat Birch, et. al. He was also privileged to dance works choreographed by George Balanchine, Donald Sadler, Anthony Tudor, Onna White, Patricia Birch, Michael Peters, and Jerry Mitchell.

Brennan was a soloist with the New York City Opera under the direction of Beverly Sills. His tenure with the company allowed him to perform in several works including Alceste, Turandot, Hamlet, Cendrillon, Mefistofele, Die Fledermaus, The MerryWidow, LaRondine, Carmen, Cavalleria/ Pagliacci, The Pearl Fishers, Attila, Nabucco, The Magic Flute, et al. He worked with international artists including Sherrill Milnes, Carol Vaness, José Carreras, Jerry Hadley, Samuel Ramey, Grace Bumbry, Eire Mills, and John Mauceri.

In the mid-1980s, Brennan was introduced to the plays of Ibsen and Chekhov and thus began a long (and continuing) love affair with these two playwrights. From 1985 to 1996, Brennan was mentored by Earle Gister, Associate Dean, and the Head of the Acting MFA at the Yale School of Drama. He continued the work under the mentorship of Vjatcheslav Dolgatchev of the Moscow Arts Theatre. Over the years he has had the opportunity to perform major roles in Chekhov’s plays, direct productions, and teach scene study classes to help students find the secrets of these masterworks.

As an educator over the last 35 years, Brennan has taught in MFA, BFA, and BA acting programs in the US and conservatory programs in the UK and Australia. These higher education institutions include The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois State University, California State University, Baldwin Wallace University (Department Chair), Cornish College of the Arts, and SUNY at Buffalo State College. In addition, he has been a guest teacher at Rose Bruford College, and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. In Australia, he was a guest teacher at the Western Australian Academy of Dramatic Arts. Currently, he teaches at the University of Washington Law School and Seattle University Law School, leading classes in Oral Persuasion and Advocacy.

Brennan is a gifted voice teacher and has taught hundreds of actors over the years. He is a Designated Practitioner of Linklater Voice Technique, and he also holds a Certification in Fitzmaurice Voicework. This work, along with his experience in both acting, movement, and presentation skills affords him a unique perspective in working with students of performance.

Brennan holds an MFA in Acting from the Yale School of Drama and an Advanced Degree in Voice Studies and Text from London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Along with these degrees he has been a participant and leader in many workshops and master classes over his extensive career.