| Bruce Cromer Actor (AEA Member) Acting/Movement Teacher Voice-Over Artist Fight Choreographer Director |
| Directing Experience Wright State University - PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, BOSTON MARRIAGE, MACBETH, BARNABY RUDGE; PART ONE (1775) and PART TWO (1780), CYMBELINE, ANGELS IN AMERICA: MILLENIUM APPROACHES and PERESTROIKA, THE TEMPEST, THE SHAPE OF THINGS, UNCLE VANYA, CORIOLANUS, OUR COUNTRY'S GOOD, THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA, THE LEARNED LADIES, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, SHADES OF NIGHT (Shakespeare's Supernatural), COMPANY, SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER, BRILLIANT TRACES, ROUND PEGS ---SQUARE HOLES (A Contemporary Commedia Farce) Xavier University BETRAYAL Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (Summer Professional Training Program) - KITH AND KIN DISCORD IN THE SPHERES Human Race Theatre Company - THE TEMPEST (In School Tour), THE LAST SONG OF JOHN PROFITT Cincinnati Playhouse (Skilken-Brown Tours) - THE TEMPEST, TOUCH THE NAMES |
| Teaching Experience Professor at Wright State University, 1987- Present Has taught courses on: Acting Warm-ups, Text Analysis, Playing Objectives, Character, Body Language, Modified Laban for the Stage, Stage Combat I and II (Unarmed, Broadsword, Rapier and Dagger, Single Sword, Smallsword, Quarterstaff), Comedy of Manners (Restoration, Moliere, Sheridan, Wilde, and Coward), Acting Shakespeare, Shakespearean Movement, Masks and Physical Comedy, Acting Professionally, Improvisation, Auditioning, Acting for Non-Majors, Modern Realism (Chekhov, Ibsen and Shaw), Contemporary Acting Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Madison, NJ Xavier University, Cincinnati Ohio March Madness Stage Combat Workshop, Cincinnati, OH Human Race Theatre, Dayton, OH Muse Machine, Dayton, OH Arts Connections, Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati Playhouse, Cincinnati, OH Seattle Experimental College, Seattle, WA Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, High School Summer Workshops Alabama Shakespeare Festival MFA Program and ASF Conservatory Program, Anniston and Montgomery, AL |
Excerpts from Reviews For Titus in TITUS ANDRONICUS, at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey "Cromer's Titus is genuinely pitiable as his wits dwindle because the actor makes clear how the general's pride in country and family is not simply wounded but rather shattered to the core." NJ.com - July 26, 2018 For Bruce in THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: ABRIDGED, at the Human Race Theatre Company "Almost as big of a star as Shakespeare, local legend Bruce Cromer is the elder statesman of the ensemble and alleged Shakespeare expert—he is, after all professor of theatre at Wright State University, and developed “the Cromer Method,” part of the good-natured fun of the banters and asides to the audience." League of Cincinnati Theatres - June 4, 2018 For Peter Quince in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey "As director of the mechanicals, Bruce Cromer kills it with Peter Quince’s exasperation." Montclair Local - July 6, 2017 For Tracy Mills in THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE, at the Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati "Smartly directed by D. Lynn Meyers, Georgia McBride’s biggest asset is fave area actor Bruce Cromer, taking a break from years of iconic stage roles for a diva sashay across the ETC stage. ...He had the audience at hello." River City New - September 9, 2016 "“Bruce Cromer in a dress” is a great gimmick to sell tickets, of course. But anyone who’s studied his work knows that his physicality as an actor could either make or break this production. His acting is usually quite masculine, very strong. But he is infinitely talented. ...Whatever the formula was, it worked as I quickly forgot that I was watching Ebenezer Scrooge in stilettos." The Sappy Critic - September 7, 2016 For Menenius in CORILANUS, at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey "Some of the actors in this cast are so comfortable speaking the verse that they can play with the language and use it to build believable characters. ... Let me single out the top three in this large cast who demonstrate that they really know how to play Shakespeare. Bruce Cromer is particularly adept playing Menenius Agrippa, a Polonius-like mentor, politician, and part-time philosopher. He is at ease with the verse and we not only clearly hear what he says, we clearly understand what he says and who he is." North Jersey.com - July 21, 2016 "Bruce Cromer delivers the humanity and the hubris of the patrician Menenius. " Curtain Up - July 13, 2016 For Willy Loman in DEATH OF A SALESMAN, at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company " From the outset, Cromer’s performance is heartbreaking. Even before he speaks, we know this man is broken. There’s a fragmented energy about him, as if Willy is trying to reclaim his grasp on reality. Every time Cromer moves, he exudes desperation. It’s hard to imagine that this is the same actor who was bounding around the Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati stage as Homer in “An Iliad” just a year ago. " Enquirer - October 18, 2015 "Bruce Cromer is compelling as the title character Willy Loman, a Brooklyn everyman who embodies the 99 percent. Even when stooped under the actual (or imagined) weight of his traveling merchandise, Cromer’s Willy is in constant motion, rummaging through his suit pockets for a handkerchief to wipe his brow or to clean his glasses, a telling physical expression of the desperate and confused grasping in his everyday life. " League of Cincinnati Theatres - October 19, 2015 For Holofernes in LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST, at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey "As Holofernes, Cromer articulates his thoughts with a melodramatic vibrato – and in the play-within-a-play about the "Nine Worthies," adept physical comedy as well. " Star Ledger - June 30, 2015 "Jeffrey M. Bender as Don Armado and Bruce Cromer as Holofernes jauntily handle the crowd-pleasing, tongue-twisted fellows who seem to 'have been at a great feast of languages, and stolen the scraps.' " New York Times - July 3, 2015 For Estragon in WAITING FOR GODOT, at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company "Each actor plays a comic type, but performances are nuanced, personalized and constantly engaging. As thoughtfully provocative as Beckett’s script is, it’s also full of opportunities for flat-out slapstick and physical humor, something Cromer is especially good at — as he wrestles with his boot to begin the show or drops his pants at a particularly somber moment. " CityBeat - January 20, 2015 For The Poet in AN ILIAD, at the Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati "Panelists for the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) have awarded Ensemble Theatre’s production of AN ILIAD with a 5 star recommendation. .... Panelists raved about the production: “Every element of it worked beautifully, from the versatile, ‘meta’ setting design, pacing, and, finally, Bruce Cromer’ s riveting performance as the poet. I rarely find a production so flawless, but this one sweeps the audience away, emotionally and intellectually.” Bruce Cromer “is stellar; his mercurial shifts into different characters, from gods to heroes to warriors and their women, his wonderful physicality, the agility with which he owns and uses the stage is just mesmerizing…this may be the best performance by an actor that I’ve seen In Cincinnati.” League of Cincinnati Theatres - October 20, 2014 "On Wednesday evening I attended one of the most remarkable solo performances I've ever seen: Bruce Cromer starring in An Iliad at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati. Based on Homer's epic poem about the Trojan War, the poetic but dynamic script calls on one actor to play a dozen or so characters. Cromer does everyone of them (sometimes interacting with one another) with both imagination and detail. ...It's also a celebration of theater, and Cromer is an absolute marvel to watch: after 100 minutes (no intermission) he's dripping with sweat from the effort and bowing to a genuine standing ovation. This is a production that no theater fan should miss." CityBeat - October 17, 2014 "Cromer already has a reputation as an actor's actor, a guy who is likable, compelling and so very physical that he dominates nearly any stage he inhabits. But this performance is a genuine tour de force as he bounds around Brian C. Mehring's warehouse of a set, falling to his knees, clambering up ladders and leaping from floor to platform as if he were auditioning to play Batman." Cincinnati Enquirer - October, 2014 For Subtle in THE ALCHEMIST, at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey "Monte has assembled a stellar cast of actors whose comedic talents are wonderfully utilized. Bruce Cromer as Subtle is so convincing, you may start to believe his supernatural abilities." Broadway World.com - August 16, 2014 "Of course, this madcap mayhem would only be possible with a cast of über-talented actors, all of them STNJ veterans. Bruce Cromer is magnificent as the wily avaricious Subtle, aka Dr. Necromancer.." NJ Arts Maven - August 10, 2014 For Charles Strickland in RACE, at the Human Race Theatre Company "Bruce Cromer supplies one of his most brilliantly understated performances as the meek and mousy Charles Strickland, whose insistence to talk to the press about his questionable actions is met with disdain by Jack and Henry. Thanks to Cromer’s superb embodiment of Charles’ humility and seemingly Jekyll & Hyde guise the play thoroughly maintains its gripping guessing game foundation." Dayton Most Metro - April 12, 2013 For C.S. Lewis in FREUD'S LAST SESSION, at the Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati "Bruce Cromer, I believe, is at his best in parts that demand intelligence, a quick and deep-thinking mind. Cromer is good at deconstructing a part, finding the inner drive of a character, charting the evolution of a character's twists and turns. When he plays characters of deep intelligence, we see the cogs in the mind turning, as we should. There is a gentle, caring, self-effacing prudishness to Lewis that Cromer gets just right." tonydallastheatrereviews.blogspot.com - January 29, 2013 "Cromer is a perfect match in a subtle performance that has an outward lilt and inward tight control. His Lewis suggests complexity, decency and secrets." Cincinnati.com - January 24, 2013 For Atticus Finch in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company "...when a standout actor like Bruce Cromer takes on the appealing leading role, well, apparently that spells great box office." Cincinnati.com - June 16, 2012 For Dan in NEXT TO NORMAL, at the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati "Enter Bruce Cromer, the region’s best actor, whose performance helps Hendy shine. He’s a decent singer surrounded by terrific vocalists but it doesn’t matter because he inhabits Dan as he inhabits every role." Cincinnati.com - June 16, 2012 For Richard in TIME STANDS STILL, at the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati "Fresh from “Speaking in Tongues” at Playhouse, ...Bruce Cromer adds another memorable performance to a season that started with his splendid Thomas More at Cincinnati Shakespeare. (And despite months of rumors, he will return as Scrooge in Playhouse’s “A Christmas Carol” next year – bravo!)" Cincinnati.com - March 15, 2012 "Cromer, one of Cincinnati’s most versatile professional actors (already this season he has played the virtuous Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons at Cincinnati Shakespeare; the cantankerous Ebenezer Scrooge at the Playhouse; and a series of morally corrupt men in Speaking in Tongues at the Playhouse), convincingly captures Richard, a caring mentor and hardworking editor who still must deal with the daily pressures of negotiating the contents of a news magazine." CityBeat - March 16, 2012 For Neil, Pete, and John in SPEAKING IN TONGUES, at the Cincinnati Playhouse "...The actors play multiple roles and more of the story becomes evident as the narrative unfolds. ...In the second act, we meet five new characters with unfulfilled lives mired in current frustrations. Cromer (who’s enacted roles from Ebenezer Scrooge for the Playhouse to King Lear for Cincinnati Shakespeare) plays Neil, a weirdly incomplete man who can’t get over an obsession with Sarah, a woman with a commitment phobia played by Russell. She’s a patient of Valerie, a high-strung psychologist played by Warner. Valerie’s aloof husband John (Cromer again) is a suspect in her disappearance, as is a redneck neighbor Nick (Duffy, who comes back as the police detective character he played in the first act). If this sounds a tad confusing, well, rest assured that Bovell’s tale unfolds more clearly with such an accomplished cast. ." CityBeat - February 14, 2012 For Scrooge in A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the Cincinnati Playhouse "How could any performance of this beloved, over familiar classic possibly be revelatory? The secret is Yellow Springs’ own Bruce Cromer, one of our region’s true theatrical treasures. Here’s the man, after all, who convincingly portrayed all the characters — including Juliet — in the Dayton Philharmonic’ s recent concert, Romeo, Juliet and Prokofiev. And his performance as Ebenezer Scrooge in the Cincinnati Playhouse’s current production is making me see A CHRISTMAS CAROL in a whole new light." Dayton Daily News - December 24, 2011 For one-man version of ROMEO AND JULIET, with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra "In a most exciting combination, master actor Bruce Cromer narrated the play with the music. ...Cromer commands the ear as authoritatively as the clarion call of a trumpet. There were, in reality, two orchestras on the stage. The Philharmonic is a collection of the voices of many different instruments, each with its special characteristic. Bruce Cromer has nearly as many voices in his arsenal of expressions. The final lines...left the audience breathless for a moment before they all leapt to their feet. " Oakwood Register - October 19, 2011 For Sir Thomas More in A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company "This weekend one of the finest actors in our area, Bruce Cromer, will conclude a run in A Man for All Seasons. ...It's a tour-de-force performance, worthy of praise wherever it might be presented." CityBeat - September 30, 2011 "Cromer delivered a quiet tour de force as a man who died for his principles. Cromer ... lets us see the intellect and the emotions – conviction, faint hope, near-despair. .... Cromer ... keeps the audience hanging on every word." Cincinnati.com - September 12, 2011 "Cromer makes him witty, caring, sharp and cantankerous, an admirable verbal combatant — ultimately more fearful of being unfaithful to his conscience than to his king." CityBeat - September 12, 2011 For Apemantus in TIMON OF ATHENS at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey "The cast includes ... the brilliant Bruce Cromer as philosopher Apemantus." [Q] OnStage - July, 2011 "Bruce Cromer is superb as the cynical philosopher Apemantus, the only man who does not take money from Timon. Limping around with a crutch, his face marked with a perpetual sneer, he's twisted physically as well as mentally." NJ Arts Maven - July 10, 2011 "Bruce Cromer skillfully plays Apemantus, the philosopher who warns Timon early on of his folly, and returns later with a gleeful “I-told-you-so” attitude." Star Ledger - July 12, 2011 "Bruce Cromer provides wry commentary as the philosopher Apemantus..." Daily Record - July 12, 2011 "Also impressive is Bruce Cromer as Apemantus, a cynical philosopher with a crippled arm and a sharp tongue." Curtain Up - July, 2011 For Butch in NEXT FALL at the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati "The always terrific Bruce Cromer mines into the character of Butch, and, as usual, discovers something priceless with a myriad of facets. Underneath his immediate worry roils everything he knows and doesn't want to know, believes and doesn't want to believe." Cincinnati Enquirer - January 27, 2011 For Benedick in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company "Any time Bruce Cromer is on an area stage the rule is: go see him. He's a smart actor who can illuminate just about anything - most Cincinnati audiences know him as Playhouse's marvelous Scrooge in A CHRISTMAS CAROL, but he's also the best classical actor living in the region. If you think you don't like Shakespeare, let Cromer be your guide." Cincinnati Enquirer - September 7, 2010 "....a playful and well-paced performance by Bruce Cromer, as Shakespeare’s most determined bachelor..." City Beat - September 7, 2010 For Oliver Lucas in THE VERTICAL HOUR at the Human Race Theatre "Cromer routinely finds attractive nuances in the script and maintains an engaging rapport with McCafferty while oozing intimidating charisma." Dayton City Paper - February 12, 2010 For Henry in LION IN WINTER at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company "Henry II and Eleanor are big, juicy roles, running a gamut of emotions as husband and wife adroitly use every other member of the extended family to win the game. Neither of them have small emotions – they are a king and queen and the most worthy of opponents. ...What make Cromer and Fracher so good always is that no matter what they’re playing, they keep it real. However they arrive at their characterizations -- there’s plenty of intelligence and intuition involved – the resulting performances are a gift for the audience." Cincinnati Enquirer - September 12, 2009 "The cast is led by guest artist Bruce Cromer as King Henry... Cromer, who teaches acting at Wright State University, is a frequent guest artist at CSC and other professional groups in the region (including his on-going Scrooge at the Playhouse in the Park’s annual “A Christmas Carol”). Indeed, the biggest laugh of the night came when Henry compared himself to King Lear, ...a Shakespearian role that Cromer performed for CSC in 2008. It’s always a treat to watch him work. He hits the right notes and always brings up the level of performance of the cast members around him." Journal-News - September 17, 2009 For Arnolphe in SCHOOL FOR WIVES at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey The Garden State's greatest stage performers --- "Best Actor: Bruce Cromer. In playing the much-too-old man who craved a much-too-young lass, Cromer ran around the stage, jumped over furniture, and slammed into walls — while sparkling even more than the 18-carat ring on his finger." The Star-Ledger - Sunday, June 13, 2010 "We should hate the sexist Arnolphe. But his desires are so endearingly simple and his frustrations so obvious that the audience has to feel a little sympathy for his plight. At least that’s the case in Mr. Cromer’s formidable comic portrayal." New York Times - July 19, 2009 "Cromer, though, gets center stage for most of the time. He deserves it. His is a deeply physical performance, but it's so rooted in reality that the evening's over before one realizes that the actor has been bouncing around the stage all night long. That's because it's psychologically true, too, which is the greatest achievement in this fine production. There's something real even in the most cartoonish moments. Most poignant: the moment at the end of Act One when Cromer's Arnolphe tells us that he has indeed fallen for the young woman for whom he never expected to feel such passion." Independent Press - July 17, 2009 "Bruce Cromer has the exhausting role of Arnolphe and handles it with such agility and vocal pyrotechnics that you might worry that he can last a full month in the part. He is a perfect foil for the rest of the company and they take full advantage." NewsRoomNewJersey.com - July 14, 2009 "Bruce Cromer is outstanding in the role of Arnolphe. On stage the entire two and a half hours, he is the source of the production’s physical energy. As costumed by designer Emily Pepper, he is the spitting image of Moliere himself, an appropriate appearance considering that the playwright introduced that role in 1662." Recorder Community Newspapers - July 16, 2009 "Particularly impressive is Bruce Cromer's Arnolphe. While he performs to solid comic effect as part of a clown trio with Jackson and Sanders (and makes a memorable final comic exit), Cromer avoids the common error of making Arnolphe more of a fool than he is in the text. Surely Arnolphe is ridiculous and foolish, but here he is also human and believable. Cromer plays Arnolphe as a nerdy, unromantic type who would not have had any success with the opposite sex when he was twenty. As he blathers on with his silly notions about keeping Agnes innocent and uneducated, it seems that his real motivation might be his fear that only such a girl would marry him." TalkinBroadway.com - July 2009 For Frederik in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the New Stage Collective "Bruce Cromer should be enough to get everyone in the door. He is, of course, Playhouse’s delightful Scrooge every year in A CHRISTMAS CAROL. He’s also one of the best actors in the region (and a WSU professor.) He was a first-rate Salieri in AMADEUS for Cincinnati Shakespeare earlier this season and – who knew? – along with everything else he sings. He is a grand Fredrik -- warm, self-aware, sexy." Cincinnati Enquirer - May 1, 2009 For Grin Dell and Rattler Man in BROTHER WOLF at the Human Race Theatre company "You won't forget masked monster Grin Dell scuttling and clambering all over the theater, popping up in the aisles or behind the spectators, seeking his next meal. ...played by Bruce Cromer...the main attraction in a unique presentation of the play by Preston Lane with songs by Laurelyn Dossett. ...Cromer also delivers a powerful Act 2 soliloquy as the snake-wielding charlatan Rattler Man." Dayton Daily News - February 3, 2009 For Salieri in AMADEUS at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company "There’s a lot to be said for a top regional actor in a great role in a big, theatrical – make that operatic – script that has the propulsion of a jet on a runway. ...AMADEUS is guest artist Bruce Cromer’s show." Cincinnati Enquirer - September 6, 2008 "Since the theater season just opened last weekend, it's probably too soon to call AMADEUS something like the production of the year. But Cincinnati Shakespeare Company has certainly set the bar high as Bruce Cromer (Salieri) and Christopher Guthrie (Mozart) both turn in award-worthy performances... ...Cromer once again proves himself to be the region's leading stage performer..." Middletown Journal - September 10, 2008 For Lear in KING LEAR at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company "With a mane of grey hair and a beard to match, he makes Lear a man simultaneously powerful and vulnerable, angry and poignant; in fact, Cromer gives Lear a manic swing that's vividly fearful." Cincinnati CityBeat - April 2, 2008 For Prospero in THE TEMPEST at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company "Cromer again reminds us that he is our region's finest actor. His Prospero is kingly, as a deposed monarch should be, with all the positives and negatives that go with power." Cincinnati Enquirer - May 5, 2007 "This Tempest is crowned with Cromer's insightful performance as magus-in-charge Prospero. He delicately balances flights of intelligence, empathy and pure affection with the lowest, most visceral yearnings after bloody vengeance, reveling in this last full flowering of Shakespeare's magical language." Cincinnati CityBeat - May 9, 2007 For Charlotte von Mahlsdorf (and others) in I AM MY OWN WIFE at the Human Race Theatre "...Master actor Bruce Cromer created an unforgettable experience in his one-man/woman show I AM MY OWN WIFE. ...Cromer plays 30 parts, some one- liners but several, in different voices and languages, are characters which must develop to full dimensions. " Oakwood Register - January 30, 2007 "Cromer again proves himself to be one of the region's finest actors as he moves seamlessly between characters, which include the playwright himself, the friend that Charlotte apparently turned into the police and a host of reporters, soldiers and other incidental characters." Pulse Journal - January 26, 2007 For Baptista/Grumio in TAMING OF THE SHREW at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey “Bruce Cromer excels as Baptista...” Star Ledger - July 25, 2006 “Bruce Cromer clowns as Petruchio's servant and adds amusing bewilderment as Kate's harassed father Baptista.” Variety - August 1, 2006 For Prospero in THE TEMPEST at the Human Race Theatre “...an intense Bruce Cromer confidently leads a talented 12-member cast as the magician Prospero... ...Cromer gives equal weight to Prospero’s eccentric pursuits and ultimate desire for reconciliation...” Dayton City Paper - February 8, 2006 For Scrooge in A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Cincinnati Playhouse “Cromer's take on Scrooge is complex. He's not just sour, he's smart - sarcasm drips from every syllable. Cromer can't resist his inclination for physical comedy, and he indulges in some big, laugh-drawing bits. Somehow, Cromer pulls it together and makes it all fit with Scrooge's emotional re-awakening, which he lets us see clearly. He is no passive observer.” Cincinnati Enquirer - December 5, 2005 “Cromer is funny and edgy: He's gleefully wicked at the outset, taking pleasure in being stingy and dyspeptic... When his conversion is complete, Cromer makes Scrooge highly animated, cavorting around the stage ("I'm making a perfect fool of myself!") and being genuinely human ("I'm really quite a baby!"). It's a performance to be treasured, re-energizing this tried and true show.” City Beat - December, 2005 For George in WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? at Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival “Two of our region’s finest actors, Bruce Cromer and Amy Warner, are playing George and Martha... Their performances are breathtaking in their range.” City Beat - May 9, 2005 “Cromer builds from a mild Dick Cavett-like intellectuality to a crescendo of vindictiveness displayed in the third act of this play.” Cincinnati Post - 2005 “Cromer is going to be a revelation for fans who don't trek up to Dayton to see him deliver jaw-dropping performances on his home ground and know him best as Bob Cratchit in Playhouse's annual A CHRISTMAS CAROL. George is the spine of WOOLF... Cromer is masterful and together they are marvelous as the sparring partners who love and hate and complete each other.” Cincinnati Enquirer - May 5, 2005 For Morgan in THE DRAWER BOY at the Human Race Theatre “...Cromer (well known to Cincinnati audiences for many roles at Ensemble Theatre and for playing Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol for many years at the Cincinnati Playhouse) gives a believable texture to Morgan, whose gruff exterior belies his depth of caring for his lifelong friend.” City Beat - February 2, 2005 For Dr. Robert Smith in BLUE/ORANGE at Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati “Cromer’s Smith will stand as one of this season’s best performances, chilling in his lack of conscience, his self-satisfaction and delicious in his stylish delivery of erudite if cruelly inappropriate comments." Cincinnati Enquirer - October 9, 2003 For Biff in DEATH OF A SALESMAN at the Human Race Theatre “Bruce Cromer as Biff in a poignant and powerful performance that will stand as the pinnacle of these two acts. His jittery tension during collisions with Willy, his abject despair during a crucial moment in his young life and his eventual triumph over himself are all palpable and immediate...” Dayton Daily News - 2003 “To say that Bruce Cromer (Biff) delivered a tour de force performance would be an understatement. ...Whether playing a Shakespearean king, an over-the- top screen legend or an ex-football star forever changed by the sight of his father’s adultery, Cromer is one of Dayton’s theatrical gems and year after year he proves it to amazing proportions.” The City Paper - 2003 For the one-person show UNDERNEATH THE LINTEL at Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati “Cromer uses an appropriately headlong, frantic pace for the librarian — if you recall John Cleese’s work in MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS, you get a taste of what he’s doing... Cromer is a delight to watch. He vibrates around the stage: his arms and legs play odd angles as he pleads with the audience. ...Cromer brings a vitality to the script that makes it come to lively, funny life.” City Beat - October 10, 2002 “Cromer gives a brave and beautiful performance...” Cincinnati Enquirer - Oct. 11, 2002 “There is a rare and stunning occurrence in theatre when an actor makes a transcendent move from performing a character to creating the illusion of becoming the character. ...Bruce Cromer achieved this feat... He brings to his role of the librarian in the one-man show UNDERNEATH THE LINTEL stunning authority, passion, and energy.” Cincinnati Post - October 12, 2002 For Barrymore in I HATE HAMLET at the Human Race Theatre (in the Victoria) “Echoing his phenomenal performance as Macbeth a few months ago, Bruce Cromer is flawless as...John Barrymore. Cromer’s enthusiastic portrayal simply astounds.” Impact Weekly - 2002 For Macbeth in MACBETH at the Human Race Theatre “Cromer probably wouldn’t admit his performance as Macbeth is theatre perfection, but it is. He not only masters the intricacy of the Bard’s sophisticated grace but Cromer’s delivery of the dialogue flows so effortlessly it seems Shakespearean is his native tongue.” Impact Weekly - February 7, 2002 “...Bruce Cromer and Lisa Ann Goldsmith...as Lord Macbeth and his lady... Working beautifully together, they give two of the best performances seen regionally this season. Mr. Cromer invites us into Macbeth’s mind, where we witness the temptation, flashes of conscience and, superbly, the megalomania. It radiates from him.” Cincinnati Enquirer - February 6, 2002 “Bruce Cromer is the total package as Macbeth... He has a tortured, craggy face that epitomizes his emotions; his bare-chested fight scenes show him to be qualified as a buff warrior too.” City Beat - 2002 For Bob Cratchit in A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Cincinnati Playhouse “Bob Cratchit (Bruce Cromer), whose bumbling waltz around his employer’s stinginess provides humor in an early scene, is also quietly compelling as an ordinary man upholding his family.” Cincinnati Post - December 3, 2001 For Albany in KING LEAR at Cincinnati Playhouse “Bruce Cromer and John Rensenhouse are impressive in supporting roles, as the unfortunate spouses of Lear’s elder daughters.” Cincinnati Enquirer - September 9, 2001 For Officer Brown in NOVA TOWN at the Victoria Theatre with Rhythm In Shoes “The pivotal role of Officer Brown requires an actor, dancer, and athlete. There is only one Bruce Cromer and he is the perfect Officer Brown, the cruel and corrupt cop.” Oakwood Register - October 10, 2000 For Prior Walter in ANGELS IN AMERICA at the Human Race Theatre “Bruce Cromer again delivers a tour de force performance as Prior...” City Beat - September 18, 1997 “Cromer balances love, grief, tenderness, anger and a sassy gallows humor in his riveting portrayal of Prior Walter...” Columbus Dispatch - April 27, 1997 “Cromer’s Prior is a delight to watch as he goes from bawdy humor to dark pain as the AIDS-infected prophet.” Gay People’s Chronicle - May 2, 1997 “Bruce Cromer is alternately flamboyant and agonizing as the doomed Prior.” The Dayton Voice - 1997 For Cyrano in CYRANO DE BERGERAC at Wright State University “Cromer’s portrayal of the title role is wonderful, as expected because his strengths as an actor of movement find an expansive home in this play, but also because of his characterization.” Dayton Daily News - May 4, 1996 For Lee in TRUE WEST at the Human Race Theatre “Cromer is a classically trained performer in a community that’s been hung up on popular entertainment and contemporary novelty for years. Yet he’s always kept his hope and his body in fighting trim, which he most definitely is in this agile, muscular, rewardingly detailed portrayal of Lee, the bad, hard- drinking, uneducated, dangerous, head-slapping brother in Shepard’s incredibly humorous but disturbing play.” Dayton Daily News - 1996 For Virgil in BUS STOP at the Human Race Theatre “Only Bo’s guardian and pal Virgil Blessing remains unattached, but he has Inge’s last word. Having an actor with Bruce Cromer’s stage presence in what might seem a minor role lends authority to this production.” Dayton Daily News - 1992 For Charles Dickens in A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the Human Race Theatre “Bruce Cromer is superb as Dickens. He lets the colorful prose roll off his tongue much like it might have been if Dickens had been there himself. Cromer weaves in and out of the action with wonderful subtlety, never pulling focus until he is ready to narrate again or play one of his menagerie of characters.” Kettering-Oakwood Times - 1991 For Stan in CAPTAIN FANTASTO at the Seattle Children’s Theatre “Cromer plays an aging hippie whose son Wally escapes into a series of fantasies where he becomes Captain Fantasto. Cromer also plays the villains in Wally’s fantasies and...does an excellent job hamming it up as the embodiment of evil, mad laughter and all. As Stan, Wally’s dad, Cromer seems perfect as a child of the 60s.” Magnolia News - September 26, 1990 For Treat in ORPHANS at the Human Race Theatre “Cromer is solid once again in the ugly part of Treat. He pulls no punches when called to deliver them verbally or physically. He is quite powerful in the moving closing seconds of the play.” Dayton Daily News - June 4, 1988 For Harry in THE SEA HORSE at the Human Race Theatre “Cromer, as Harry, gives a first rate and detailed performance that carries THE SEA HORSE farther than it might otherwise travel.” Dayton Daily News - January 15, 1988 For Happy in DEATH OF A SALESMAN at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival “Bruce Cromer plays Happy with such finesse that his terrible moral traits can only make you shudder, when he starts to prance and move on the ladies. Bruce has the body controls of a dancer.” Storer Cable - 1985 For Charles in THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival “Bruce Cromer lights up the stage as Charles Surface, the roguish nephew who sees nothing unusual in auctioning off his ‘relatives’ to pay for his gambling debts. Indeed, the auction scene is one of the highlights of the play.” The Dispatch - 1985 For Lysander in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival “Bruce Cromer is fine and in excellent athletic form as Lysander...” Anniston Star - December 15, 1985 For Marlowe in SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival “Combining Dawn Spare and Bruce Cromer as the comic lead couple was nothing short of sensational casting.” Montgomery Advertiser - 1984 For Macduff in MACBETH at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival “One of the psychological peaks which moved the audience most was Bruce Cromer, as Macduff, during his response to the news that his wife and children had been murdered...” Montgomery Advertiser - 1984 For Romeo in ROMEO AND JULIET at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival (tour) “Bruce Cromer’s Romeo is a fine, fair-haired boy whose passions never once trip up his tongue. He can somersault from stone benches, bound gracefully from balconies and fence like Errol Flynn. He’s everything Shakespeare’s impetuous young lover ought to be.” Charlotte Observer - October 9, 1982 “And Romeo (Bruce Cromer) was robust and athletic as he dashed about stage and, on occasion, somersaulted and leaped from Juliet’s balcony. ...The tomb scene was a theatrical symphony. Shakespeare's famous lines were spoken with grace and eloquence by Cromer...” Tuscaloosa News - September 29, 1982 “Bruce Cromer, in the role of impetuous Romeo, handled his difficult role with apparent ease. Some unexpected acrobatics in the balcony scene and a well-choreographed sword fight kept the audiences wondering what to expect next from this energetic actor.” Florence Times - 1982 For Hamlet in HAMLET at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival “His is a fresh, take-charge, thoroughly American Hamlet...a Hamlet of very considerable control and power.” Montgomery Advertiser - 1982 “The role of Hamlet demands an exceptional actor, capable of not only putting Hamlet on the stage but bringing him to life in the mind of the audience. Bruce Cromer performed this task with very little difficulty. There is strength and power in Cromer’s interpretation, but overshadowing this is his overwhelming emotion. Cromer relates Hamlet’s thoughts and feelings often without a spoken word — surely a sign of a professional.” Jacksonville News - 1982 “Bruce Cromer, as Hamlet, is the driving force behind the play’s energy. He sustains a captivating intensity with his character that makes us believe and sympathize with Hamlet’s troubles. Cromer gives us both the richness of Shakespeare’s text and the richness of Hamlet’s character — including a generous dose of his humor.” Anniston Star - 1982 “Bruce Cromer...proved to be adept at handling the many soliloquies and flings with insanity that the characterization demands.” The Leeds News - 1982 “The performance of Bruce Cromer in HAMLET is fantastic... Energetic and emotional but tensely controlled... Cromer was greeted with a standing ovation following the play’s dramatic ending.” Sand Mountain Reporter - 1982 For Sebastian in TWELFTH NIGHT at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival “Bruce Cromer as...Sebastian reminds us that this season’s Hamlet is also a very handsome romantic lead." Montgomery Advertiser - August 1, 1982 For Prince Hal in HENRY IV at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival “Bruce Cromer was excellent as the fun-loving Prince Hal...one of his best endeavors at the Festival. He allowed the audience to see him grow from an irresponsible youth to the royal defender of his country.” Daily Home - 1981 “Bruce Cromer’s portrayal of Prince Hal captures the duality of the heir to the throne — the man who later puts aside his boisterous ways and assumes his regal responsibilities...” Birmingham Post-Herald - July 23, 1981 For Lysander in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival “Demetrius (Arthur Hanket) and Lysander (Bruce Cromer) were good as the interchangeable suitors... From the beautiful poetry the youngsters were speaking with fetching conviction, slapstick would suddenly erupt. Yet throughout all this there was never a hint that the action was a way for the actors to escape the words they were speaking.” Shakespeare Quarterly, 1981 |
| 2019 Theatre Season (click on underlined links for more information) June/July 2019 Cardinal Richelieu in THE THREE MUSKETEERS at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey August/September, 2019 Directing PETER AND THE STARCATCHER at Wright State University November/December, 2019 Scrooge (15th year!) in A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park |
| Rich Sofranko, Photographer |
| Voice-Overs and Narration ThinkTV, Dayton, OH - OUR OHIO (twenty or so episodes), THE NEW SELLING OF AMERICA (Narrator), GOODBYE THE LEVEE HAS BROKEN (character voices), A DEATH IN THE WOODS (on-camera reader) Click here to watch The Community Solution - THE POWER OF COMMUNITY: HOW CUBA SURVIVED PEAK OIL (Narrator) Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra - THE COMPOSER IS DEAD (Narrator) |
| Resident Artist with the Human Race Theatre Company, Professor of Acting and Movement at Wright State University, and Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors |
| Rich Sofranko, Photographer |
| Excerpt from THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS Human Race Theatre Company with Bruce Cromer, Richard Marlatt, and Jake Lockwood |
| Excerpt from MACBETH Human Race Theatre Company with Bruce Cromer and Lisa Goldsmith |
| Professional Acting Credits Focus Features - 2019 DARK WATERS (Kim Burke) Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey - 2005-2019 THE THREE MUSKETEERS (Richelieu) TITUS ANDRONICUS (Titus) A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (Egeus/Quince) CORIOLANUS (Menenius) LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST (Holofernes) THE ALCHEMIST (Subtle) AS YOU LIKE IT (Duke Senior/Duke Frederick) TIMON OF ATHENS (Apemantus) THE SCHOOL FOR WIVES (Arnolphe) THE TAMING OF THE SHREW (Baptista/Grumio) LIFE OF GALILEO (Sagredo/Cardinal Bellarmin) Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park - 1997-2018 A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Scrooge, Bob Cratchit) SPEAKING IN TONGUES (Pete, Neil, John) KING LEAR (Albany) BARRYMORE (Frank) Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati - 2002-2018 ST. NICHOLAS (The Critic) THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE (Tracy Mills) AN ILIAD (The Poet) FREUD'S LAST SESSION (C.S. Lewis) NEXT TO NORMAL (Dan) TIME STANDS STILL (Richard) NEXT FALL (Butch) THE WAYFARER'S REST (Dylan) BLUE/ORANGE (Dr. Robert Smith) UNDERNEATH THE LINTEL (Librarian) staged reading of THE MAIDS (Madame Human Race Theatre Company - 1987-2018 THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: ABRIDGED (Bruce/Jess) RACE (Charles Strickland) THE 39 STEPS (Clown 1) I AM MY OWN WIFE (Charlotta, etc.) BROTHER WOLF (Grin Dell, Rattler Man) THE VERTICAL HOUR (Oliver Lucas) EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FAVOUR (Alexander) --- with Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra THE DRAWER BOY (Morgan) THE ODD COUPLE (Vinnie) OF MICE AND MEN (Slim) DEATH OF A SALESMAN (Biff) I HATE HAMLET (Barrymore) MACBETH (Macbeth) NOISES OFF (Gary/Roger) THE TEMPEST (Prospero) TRUE WEST (Lee) PRELUDE TO A KISS (Peter) BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE (Pato) ORPHANS (Treat) A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Dickens, etc.) MRS. CONEY'S CHRISTMAS (James) ANGELS IN AMERICA: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES and PERESTROIKA (Prior Walter) HOMEWARD BOUND (Kevin) BUS STOP (Virgil) KEELY AND DU (Cole) THE SEAHORSE (Harry) Xavier University (AEA Guest Artist) - 2013-2018 BURIED CHILD (Dodge) THE CRUCIBLE (Danforth) Cincinnati Shakespeare Company - 2005-2015 DEATH OF A SALESMAN (Willy Loman) WAITING FOR GODOT (Estragon) ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD (Claudius) HAMLET (Claudius) TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (Atticus Finch) A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (Thomas More) MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (Benedick) LION IN WINTER (Henry II) AMADEUS (Salieri) KING LEAR (Lear) THE TEMPEST (Prospero) WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (George) Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra - 2011 One-man version of ROMEO AND JULIET New Stage Collective - 2009 A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (Frederik) New Horizon Theatre Company - 2001 ARMS AND THE MAN (Bluntschli) Repertory Theatre of St. Louis - 2001 KING LEAR (Albany) Rhythm In Shoes at the Victoria Theatre - 2000 NOVA TOWN (Officer Brown) Santa Fe Stages - 1994-97 EINE KLEINE HAMLET (Horatio) A MACBETH (Ross) NEVILLE'S ISLAND (Roy) THE SCHOOL FOR WIVES (Horace) TARTUFFE (Damis) THE ILLUSION (Pleribo, Adraste, Florilame) Milwaukee Repertory Theatre - 1990-91 INHERIT THE WIND (Davenport) YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU (Tony) A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Young Scrooge, Topper) Seattle Children's Theatre - 1988 CAPTAIN FANTASTO (Stan) Alabama Shakespeare Festival - 1979-86 HAMLET (Hamlet) ROMEO AND JULIET (Romeo and Tybalt) MACBETH (Macduff) SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL (Charles Surface) DEATH OF A SALESMAN (Hap Loman) KING LEAR (Edgar) RICHARD III (Richmond) ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL (Bertram) LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST (Longaville) CYMBELINE (Guiderius) MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (Lysander) HENRY IV (Prince Hal) MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR (Fenton) TWELFTH NIGHT (Sebastian) COMEDY OF ERRORS (Antipholus of Syracuse) TAMING OF THE SHREW (Lucentio) PYGMALION (Freddie) TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (Proteus) AS YOU LIKE IT (Jacques de Boys) Clarence Brown Theatre, Knoxville, TN - 1984 RICHARD III (Richmond, First Murderer) THE QUESTIONS OF HAMLET (Horatio, Laertes) Conservatory Theatre Company, Seattle WA - 1981-82 THE GAME OF LOVE AND CHANCE (Mario) THE GLASS MENAGERIE (Tom Wingfield) Wright State Summer Theatre - 1979 RODGERS AND HART (Singer/Dancer) WAIT UNTIL DARK (Mike Talman) LIFE WITH FATHER (Clarence, Jr.) THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (John Worthing) Otterbein Summer Theatre - 1978 YOU KNOW I CAN'T HEAR YOU... (George) LITTLE FOXES (Oscar Hubbard) FORTY CARATS (Peter Latham) NOT NOW, DARLING (Arnold Crouch) |
| Narration for ROMEO AND JULIET with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra click here to listen |
| Fight Choreography Experience Wright State University - PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, THE LIAR, CRAZY FOR YOU, CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, URINETOWN, GRAPES OF WRATH, MACBETH (three productions), RESTORATION (Nahum Tate's KING LEAR), STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, ROMEO AND JULIET (with Charlie Cromer), PETER PAN, FENCES, OKLAHOMA, GRAND HOTEL, THE MIRACLE WORKER, DEATH OF A SALESMAN, BARNABY RUDGE, PICNIC, JEKYLL AND HYDE, CYMBELINE (with Charlie Cromer), ANGELS IN AMERICA, THE FANTASTICKS, WEST SIDE STORY, AIDA, URINETOWN (two productions), GREASE, KISS ME KATE, CYRANO DE BERGERAC, ROMEO AND JULIET (two productions), HAMLET, PHANTOM, COMPANY, STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, SHADES OF NIGHT, 'TIS PITY SHE'S A WHORE, OUR COUNTRY'S GOOD, CAROUSEL, CORIOLANUS Cincinnati Shakespeare Company - NOISES OFF, HENRY VI PART ONE and PART TWO, RICHARD III, DEATH OF A SALESMAN Xavier University - THIS IS OUR YOUTH Human Race Theatre Company - AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, ROMEO AND JULIET, TRUE WEST, ANGELS IN AMERICA, CHILDREN OF EDEN, ART Alabama Shakespeare Festival - RICHARD III, KING LEAR, TWELFTH NIGHT (two productions), TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (two productions), ROMEO AND JULIET, MACBETH (two productions), HAMLET, THE BEAUX' STRATAGEM Cincinnati Playhouse - MISS EVERS' BOYS Santa Fe Stages - CHICAGO, THE ILLUSION, EINE KLEINE HAMLET, A MACBETH, CARMEN, NEVILLE'S ISLAND, JOHN WAYNE NEVER SLEPT HERE Wittenburg University - I HATE HAMLET Chautauqua Theatre of Defuniak Springs (FL) - I HATE HAMLET, HAMLET University of Dayton - MOTHER COURAGE, THE GRAPES OF WRATH, HAMLET Antioch Shakespeare Festival - TWELFTH NIGHT, ROMEO AND JULIET Clarence Brown Theatre - RICHARD III, HAMLET Ohio Renaissance Festival - assorted Quarterstaff, Rapier and Dagger, and Single Sword fights Film Work - THE DREAMCATCHER |
