by Anne Rene Brashier

Anne Rene Brashier is one of our #LDTI2017 Ambassadors, documenting the Intensive with photos, videos, and insights from the studio. Here’s what she has to say about how she got here: from childhood circus performances in Texas, to her film and theatre career in Los Angeles California, and now joining us in London for the next two weeks.

My first memories are of making performance. I used to create circus shows with my friends to perform for our parents; a rope strung between 2 trees, face paint smeared in the Texas summer heat. 

Since 2008 I have focused on writing and directing. I was an Assistant Director for three shows at The Actor’s Gang, where we focused on making fresh, approachable adaptations of classic works. I have also been the 1st Assistant Director and Production Manager for several small films. Those experiences allowed me to be very hands-on when creatively problem-solving how to make dynamic art with a tight budget. I worked with directors and asked tons of questions. I tried to talk with the gaffers about what they loved about working on film, what obstacles the sound department saw that no director had asked them about. I wanted to be a very small fish in a lot of large complex ponds, because I believe that the more an artist understands the nuances of a process, the better they can be at making art. I think that my knowledge of how to work a boom mic and how to build a call sheet and how to organize a costume plot all help me be a better director. It allows me to have deeper respect and compassion for all the artists on my team. 

So, I worked small for years. I wrote sketch comedy, I directed webseries, I choreographed for indie music videos and 99-seat theaters. I became a production coordinator for a VFX studio because I didn’t know anything about VFX or post-production or animation. Again, I figured that the more I knew about making art, the better artist I would be. 

As immersive art became more valuable and accessible, I managed to get a small job at a digital production company and worked my way from coordinator to producer. I got over my fear of technology, and started editing a video every week for myself. I bought a camera and started offering to film live shows for friends. I told everyone I knew that I wanted to write and direct, and I started to submit plays to 10-minute festivals. 

Once I started writing and directing, I felt unstoppable. My two solo shows “The Most Fun Funeral” and “30:30:60” have been performed at Fringe Festivals in New York, Hollywood, and New Zealand. The webseries I recently directed, “Corporate”, was nominated for Best Directing and Best Ensemble by the LA Web Awards. This summer, the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles presented my adaptation of MacBeth, “Dugout”, which I wrote and directed. My adaptation of Measure 4 Measure was presented at IndieCade and The Hollywood Fringe. I have written and directed at 10-minute film and play festivals for Sacred Fools, Shoot ‘Em Up, Some Assembly Required, and Company of Angels. 

I get excited by working with innovative artists, who are eager to use art as a communication tool, and who work hard to make art that invites audiences to be witness to diverse stories. Currently I am working on a goofy farce about unions, a wicked scifi play about miscarriage, and a reverse escape room focused on musical challenges. 

Oh, and I love dancing.