Lise Bruneau’s work has been seen all around the DC area. As an actress, her credits include The Odd Couple and Mikveh at Theater J, My Name is Asher Lev at Round House and An Ideal Husband and The Winter’s Tale at Shakespeare Theatre Company. Directorial credits include Owl Moon for Taffety Punk, a company which she co-founded, and Savage in Limbo for MetroStage.
How long have you been acting professionally?
Lise Bruneau
26 years.
Are you classically trained?
I trained at RADA in London in their 3 year program, and was an apprentice at the very awesome Berkeley Shakespeare Festival with Dakin Matthews and Richard E.T. White when I was a wee lass in ’86.
Having just finished directing Savage and Limbo at MetroStage, do you prefer directing or performing?
Lise Bruneau and Amal Saade in Theater J’s production of ‘Mikveh’ Photo by Stan Barouh.
I really, really love them both. I am at an early stage, comparatively, in my directing career (if you omit my outstanding work in the Senior Review at Bishop O’ Dowd High School!), but I feel the fast and furious pace at Taffety Punk has grown me up quickly. I am humbly ecstatic to be at the helm of any production, and am happy that my years in the profession have given me a good understanding of how to engage, and above all tell a clear story to our audience.
What is the mission of Taffety Punk?
The Punks want to make theatre cool. Even Old Fashioned, Classical-ish Theatre. It can be cool. Just watch. And we dance. And plug our guitars in. And rule. And we do Shakespeare in a day. And let grrrls play great roles that were written for men. Cool. And it’s always ten bucks. Always.
If you were casting yourself in a role that no one else would see you in, what would that role be?
I think it would have to be Aaron in Titus Andronicus, (though I think I’d give a nice Juliet). The man thing is something the Grrrls can get around, but we haven’t yet dealt with the race thing. He is the most delicious villain, and he goes to a place of such extreme hatred! This is a fabulously frightening and indulgent place for an actor to go and I love it.
Lise Bruneau’s website.
Taffety Punk’s website.
