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WALLACE
BRIDGES
Professor
Office: 104 Quirk Building
Phone: 734.487.0535
Email: wbridges@emich.edu
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Bridges has been teaching theatre at Eastern Michigan University
since 1992. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech and
Drama at Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma, and a Master
of Fine Arts degree in Theatre (Directing) at Western Illinois
University in Macomb, Illinois. He teaches acting, African American
theatre, introduction to theatre, and play direction to undergraduate
students, and has designed and teaches courses online.
In addition to teaching and advising undergraduate students,
Bridges directs at EMU annually. He has directed over 20
plays at EMU. He is noted for directing high quality and thought-provoking
plays. Some of his directing credits at EMU include The Good
Person of Setzuan, Ain’t Misbehavin’, In
the Blood, and Oedipus the King. His professional
directing credits include productions at the Lawton Community
Theatre in Oklahoma, and the University of Michigan-Flint. He
also enjoys directing in the intimate Laboratory Theatre at EMU.
Bridges co-wrote and co-directed an original play with music, Soaring
on Black Wings, with EMU students, faculty and staff in
collaboration with Tony and Emmy award-winner and television/film
actor, Ben Vereen.
Bridges has also acted professionally onstage at The Purple
Rose Theatre Company in Chelsea, Michigan and at the St. Louis
Black Repertory Company in Missouri. Some of his acting roles
include T.O. in I am A Man, Doaker in The Piano
Lesson, Wilkie in A Soldier’s Play, and Philmore
in Jitney. He created the role of Lenny in the Purple
Rose Theatre Company world premiere of Mitch Albom's play, Duck
Hunter Shoots Angel. Bridges is a member of Actors’ Equity
Association and Screen Actors Guild, and is seen and heard locally
on television commercials, voice-overs and print ads. He
appears in Drew Barrymore’s feature film, Whip It! ,
and stars in the independent film, Shooters: Get the Picture.
Bridges founded the Idlewild Theatre Company, which has a mission
to produce Afrocentric theatre in historic Idlewild, Michigan
each summer.
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