Bryan W. Simon is a

stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

and

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

from

Waukegan, Illinois Waukegan ( ) is a city in Lake County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located north of Chicago, Waukegan is a satellite city within the greater Chicago metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, its population was 89,321, makin ...

. He directed his first professional stage play at 17, the regional tour of a children's show entitled ''Jack and The Wishing Beans,'' for the Roundtree Players.

Early life

Simon grew up in Waukegan, Illinois and attended

Waukegan High School Waukegan High School, or WHS, is a public four-year high school located in Waukegan, Illinois, USA, a city to the north of Chicago, Illinois. It is part of Waukegan Community Unit School District 60. Students attend classes at the Washington Cam ...

, the

College of Lake County The College of Lake County, commonly referred to as CLC, is a public community college in Lake County, Illinois. CLC's primary campus is located in Grayslake and two other campuses exist in nearby Waukegan and Vernon Hills. It is located in the ...

, and went on to attend the

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a Public university, public Urban university, urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropo ...

, where he graduated with a

B.A. A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree ...

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

. His father, Shadie Simon, was a high school English teacher, writer, educational film producer, and scriptwriter for

Coronet Films Coronet Films (also known as Coronet Instructional Media Inc.) was an American producer and distributor of documentary shorts shown in public schools, mostly in the 16mm format, from the 1940s through the 1980s (when the videocassette recorder r ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. His mother, Denise Pautz Simon, was a former schoolteacher and homemaker. At a young age, Simon became interested in

photography Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...

and

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

, buying a Super 8 camera and making

short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...

Career

Stage

Simon directed his first professional stage play at 17, the regional tour of a children's show entitled ''Jack and The Wishing Beans,'' for the Roundtree Players. At 29, Simon founded the Chicago area Stage Two Theatre Company in 1985. Stage Two under the artistic direction of Simon held a quiet national status recognized on both coasts for taking risks, having staged 36 global and Midwest premieres.Rick Moser, (December 9, 1993) Rising success touches home base for reality, The News-Sun, page 5BH. Lee Murphy, (January 24, 1986) Stage Two out to shake up suburban scene, Chicago Tribune, Section 7 page 1

/ref>H. Lee Murphy, (December 22, 1989) Original plays find home with Stage Two, Chicago Tribune, Section 7 page 13Frederic Woldt, (December 22, 1989) Doing it First, The News-Sun, page 4 The troupe specialized in debuting works of new playwrights.Rick Moser, (March 1, 2001), Simon takes "Ride" to film, Pioneer Press, page B4 . Simon's goal for Stage Two was to stimulate thought and arouse the imagination.

Films

''The Second Room'', Simon's first film, is about an alienated architect, who is paralyzed by disengagement and fear of experience. ''The Second Room'' received the Gold Award at the Charleston International Film Festival and was one of five shorts accepted for the AFI-Los Angeles International Film Festival in 1995. ''The Second Room'' was selected for the Discovery Series at the

Santa Barbara International Film Festival The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is an eleven-day film festival held in Santa Barbara, California in February annually, since 1986. The festival screens over 200 feature films and shorts from different countries and regions. ...

.10th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival Program Guide, March 1995 BryanSimonbyElizabethHedges

Simon's next feature film was ''Along for the Ride'', a film about two estranged brothers who meet in Mexico to lay their deceased father to rest. Each man's story, their lies, fears, and deceits weaves a humorous, hallucinatory and heartbreaking journey toward understanding.7th Annual Austin Film Festival Program Guide, October 2000 It won Best of Fest - First Feature at the Saguaro Film Festival International. It was an official selection in competition at the

Austin Film Festival Austin Film Festival (AFF), founded in 1994, is an organization in Austin, Texas, that focuses on writers' creative contributions to film. Initially, AFF was called the Austin Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference and functioned to launch the c ...

Sarasota Film Festival The Sarasota Film Festival is a film festival located in Sarasota, Florida and held in April. Its mission is "to celebrate the art of filmmaking and the contribution of filmmakers by hosting an international film festival and developing year-long ...

, New Haven Film Festival and

Atlanta Film Festival The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) is an international film festival held in Atlanta, Georgia and operated by the Atlanta Film Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Started in 1976 and occurring every spring, the festival shows a diverse r ...

. The film was originally distributed by Fabrication Films formerly Search Party Films (distribution rights purchased at Sun dance Film Festival).Dana Harris and Charles Lyons, (January 22, 2001), At Sundance, Buyers bear up, Daily Variety, Page 1 It is now distributed by Pop Twist Entertainment after a complete digital restoration of picture and sound from the original 35 mm negative.
IMDB Along for the Ride 2010 marked the release of ''

I'm No Dummy ''I'm No Dummy'' is a 2009 documentary film about ventriloquism directed by Bryan W. Simon and produced by Marjorie Engesser through Montivagus Productions. It premiered at the 2009 Seattle International Film Festival before being released to th ...

'', the first feature length theatrical documentary about ventriloquismDigital Cinema Report http://digitalcinemareport.com/node/1165 which examined and dissected the world of ventriloquism through clips, photos, and interviews with many of the greatest events from today and yesterday, illustrating that this perceived novelty act is truly an extraordinary art form. ''I'm No Dummy'' was re-released in a Special Edition two-disc set and for streaming on September 18, 2015. The Special Edition was subsequently released on August 22, 2016 in the UK, Germany, Spain, France, and Israel.
IMDB I'm No Dummy Release Info The picture stars popular ventriloquists such as

Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...

's two-time Comedian of the Year and YouTube sensation

Jeff Dunham Jeffrey Douglas Dunham (born April 18, 1962) is an American ventriloquist, stand-up comedian and actor who has also appeared on numerous television shows, including ''Late Show with David Letterman'', ''Comedy Central Presents'', ''The Tonig ...

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

winner Jay Johnson of sitcom SOAP fame, and Campus Entertainer of the Year Lynn Trefzger. The film had its world premiere at The

Seattle International Film Festival The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) is a film festival held annually in Seattle, Washington, United States, since 1976. It usually takes place in late May and/or early June. It is one of the largest festivals in the world, and feature ...

SIFF and played at The New York International Children's Film Festival before being released by Salient Media and Vivendi/

NBC Universal NBCUniversal Media, LLC (abbreviated as NBCU and doing business as NBCUniversal or Comcast NBCUniversal since 2013) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that is a subsidiary of Comcast and headquartered at 30 ...

. In 2012, Simon directed the big screen adaptation of Jay Johnson's Tony® Award winning

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

play, JAY JOHNSON: THE TWO & ONLY!. It was shot in

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, eighth-most populous city in the st ...

at the historic

Thalian Hall Thalian Hall is a historic city hall and theatre located at Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina. It was built in 1858, and is a two-story, five-bay, stuccoed brick building with a combination of restrained Classical Revival and flamboy ...

. Playbill News Article: Tony Award-Winning Jay Johnson: The Two and Only! Will Be Filmed in NCVariety News Article: 'Two and Only' to be film The film was released on Pay-Per-View in over 55 million households. In December 2014, it was released worldwide on DVD. The film became part of the Broadway HD library and began streaming worldwide in 2015.

Writing and Teaching

Simon has been a frequent contributor to magazines and websites on filmmaking such as No Film School, ''MovieMaker Magazine'' and The Wrap. His first book was published in 2021, a follow-up to his ''I'm No Dummy'' documentary, the book is called ''I'm No Dummy Everyday: 365 Days of Ventriloquial Oddities, Curiosities, and Fun Facts''.

Reception

The Second Room

Rick Moser of the Copley News Service stated, "An exciting directorial debut. Simon has successfully translated his keen artistic vision to the screen." and "For a film debut, ''The Second Room'' shows a strong directorial hand."Rick Moser, (January 19, 1995) Ex-Stage Two Director Bryan Simon Directs His First Feature, The News-Sun (Copley News Service), Section B, page 6 Film Threat Magazine in its BEST OF issue gave ''The Second Room'' an 8 (out of 10 points); and said "''The Second Room'' is a hot feature from a director to be on the look out for."J. Bartoo, (1995) THE SECOND ROOM Review, Film Threat Video Best of Issue, Vol. 2, Issue #14, page 62

Along for the Ride

Bill Gallo of the Los Angeles New Times proclaimed, "This first feature by a young Chicago director named Bryan W. Simon is an astonishing thing to behold", and said the film was a "brave, funny, and engaging movie."Bill Gallo, (February 15–21, 2001) Ride Into the Sunset, New Times Los Angeles, page 52 Russell Smith of The Austin Chronicle called ''Along for the Ride'', "Fresh and compelling, look and feel is nothing short of amazing" and stated, "Thanks to Simon's assured and straightforward direction, this film rises well above the lackluster status quo of current indie cinema."Russell Smith, (October 20, 2000) That's A Wrap, Austin Chronicle, page 37 Daria Snadowsky of INsite Magazine declared, "''Along for the Ride'' is a triumph for independent cinema... an extraordinary antidote to the mediocre mainstream".Daria Snadowsky, (June 2001, Volume 5:9), MOVIE REVIEWS, INsite Magazine, page 20

I'm No Dummy ''I'm No Dummy'' is a 2009 documentary film about ventriloquism directed by Bryan W. Simon and produced by Marjorie Engesser through Montivagus Productions. It premiered at the 2009 Seattle International Film Festival before being released to th ...

Patrick Hickey of The Review Fix stated, "Simon has without a doubt done his homework and made his subjects charming, thoughtful and fun, from start to finish."Patrick Hickey, No Dummies Here
/ref> Dan Pearson, Sun Times Media for the Beacon-News, "''I'm No Dummy'', an entertaining and often eloquent 2009 documentary by Waukegan filmmaker Bryan W. Simon."
/ref> Edward Yerke-Robins of LAist commented that, "I'm No Dummy presents ventriloquism as a complicated, controlled, and nuanced exercise.

isn't interested in throwing the last word on ventriloquism; its only wish is to entertain while it educates, and it does so beautifully."Edward Yerke-Robins, DVD Review: I'm No Dummy

Jay Johnson: The Two & Only!

Patrick Hickey of The Review Fix stated, "Bryan W. Simon's directing also brings out Johnson's quirky and sincere style with shots that showcase his wide smile. At others, the shot selection adds some extra uniqueness. At one point in the show, Simon takes us the inside of one of Johnson's doll's cases. A rarely seen shot, it caps off an incredibly dramatic segment. Always in the right place at the right time, Simon's work on this production is both well-executed and well-edited."
JTTAO! Film ReviewFix

References

External links

Official Website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Simon, Bryan W. Living people University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni 1956 births