Bryan Cohen

by Bryan Cohen
(Chicago, IL)

Mangum 310 in Chapel Hill, NC in 2004

Bryan Cohen was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia and he was always somewhat of a weirdo. He first discovered the power of performance on an audience as part of the Environmental Education Club in high school. He loved cracking up about fifty 6th graders while he and his peers performed ridiculous campfire skits.

After two months at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he was cast in his first play. A couple of weeks later, he changed his major to Dramatic Art and never looked back. In college he acted in ten plays, his favorite role being Dr. Rank in A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen.

He began directing his junior year with the Canadian play Snake in Fridge. There has probably never been as much cursing and nudity at UNC since. He began producing and directing his own shows, such as a fairy tale review called Happy Ending Anonymous: Fairy Tales That Didn't Make It.

He also tried his hand at improv comedy, taking classes and performing with Dirty South Improv.

Bryan graduated in 2005 and came to Chicago to study at the iO Theater but his old directing/producing habit came back quickly. He produced and directing two novelty improv/scripted shows and acted in a improvised 40's radio show called On Air and a spoof on the WWE called The Improvised Wrestling Federation.

Bryan is one of the four producers of Just Say Yes Entertainment and he looks forward to giving many talented people the opportunity to work together at The 24 Hour Plays in June.

Acting/Directing/Writing Work

In Chicago: Something from Nothing, Adventures in Comedy, On Air, IWF Presents, Lottery #28 at iO

In Chapel Hill: Mangum 310, Happy Endings Anonymous: Fairy Tales that Didn't Make It, Snake In Fridge, A Guy's Tale, A Doll House, North Pole Darkening, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Curse of the Starving Class, Women of Troy, "Death, Thunder...and Jeff!!!", Macho Sasquatcho