oe GROWING UP i in cevirtually. a war zone’” thai was his
“ home.in Brooklyn,: Alex Bruhanski discovered theatre to be

an escape: into “‘a wondrous, imaginative world.’ ” ee

“His fi rst stage role i is gone from
memory, but the carlitst "5
remembered performance i is 28

years ago as a fresh-faced teenager’ :

playing Peter in The Diary of:

Anne Frank on a New York stage. :

“At. 16 years old he moved with «

his family to Los Angeles, only to: °

by: the “drama

‘a people junkie." .

. what is § this thing called talent, ‘but
uD still can’t answer that question,”
BAYS Bruhanski, 42, a veteran of:

numerous stage, television and”
movie roles.: “

His best answer to ‘date: “mt has
to do with empathy, it has to do
with commitment, it has to.do with
bascline intelligence. : :

“More than anything, it has to,

‘do with an absolute fascination
with the human condition — being :

This fascination with people has

ted him through various facets of ©

his career; from'the ‘pure hell*' of

children's theatre tours to his two
favorite roles'—‘Jerry in Zoo. Story :
“and Cliff in The Woolgatherer2

Lartier this week he'added -

“another line to:his ‘credit list when

-completion in.1992.
For: the, 250 drama ‘students and
) the impr: vements

‘th cramped: and stuffy, portabie used

he started work.on the locally "~

filmed Cousins, with Isabella

~ Rossellini, Lloyd Bridges and Ted
vo and George Segal.”

Danson. Bye

In about a month" s time he wil :

23 - Friday,

Photo Ming Wobotiens J

‘be on-set for Daddy’s Home,
“another Vancouver-arcea produc- on

tion, this one starring Kirstie Altey

His Previous roles are diverse,

U
n the department. improvements, are: “(eit-right)' Barbara Shiels;: honorsry
president of Argyle Drama Association; Argyte principal Terry. Sha
. honorary: past President of the’ masic association Alice Strilchuk

“upswing; : this “i ing. ak
oted Burritte. 02°)

June 24, 1988 - North Shore News

_ , -
ACTOR, ALEX: Bruhanski takes
time ‘out from learning lines. to
share a2 moment with eight-year
old daughter Kira. .°

his latest two no less so. In Cous-
ins he plays cousin Herb, }!wha |.
mistakenly thinks he's a Sex sym-_ :
. bol and an expert on amour’; in
Daddy’s Homic he is a'construction
worker. |

“I've been blessed and cursed,
with not being a leading man _
type,"’ he explains. ‘‘f’m‘a charac-
* ter actor, and at this point in time
and space there’s a much larger:
market-for character actors.”’

‘An earlier year-iong retreat to
the Gui Islands to get away from:
acting turned into anything but,
with him being involved in a host’ 3
- of productions. It.is ‘fot in his =
“sblood to be away from acting.

“I'm more content with my ow
life than any of the characters I've «
played,’* says the Dundarave resi-
dent. ‘Theatre by nature is con- 2
flict; no conflict, no theatre. I'm
quite content to live without those ,
dilemmas.”’ '

Bruhanski’s own mvacting has ©

‘benefited through passing on his
experience to students at his Van-:

- couver studio. Exploring the craft: .
«means exploring himself,and that ©
"means better performances: hee

Students he tries to get to," share
parts:of themselves that: are: tradi-'
‘ donally *guarded,”’‘and ‘tells them .-
to perform with honesty and integ=
rity. qa 2

Mie Ss got to be good, **is his.

“reasoning. ‘‘Or why is it up the

ona 1 40-foot! screen?” z

couver *
_cthemselves ' at. the: