Congratulations to David Bridel

L-R: President Emeritus Nikias, Steve Braverman, David Bridel, Michael Quick
L-R: President C. L. Max Nikias, Steve Braverman, Dean David Bridel, Provost Michael Quick (USC Photo/Steve Cohn)

I write today to congratulate School of Dramatic Arts Dean David Bridel, who was installed this week as the inaugural holder of the Braverman Family Dean’s Chair. The chair was endowed by Trojan parent and member of the SDA Board of Councilors Steve Braverman, who has consistently supported both USC and the arts community over many years.

Dean Bridel has a resume full of achievements, including in writing, directing, performing, and choreography, and he is truly the innovative thinker and administrator USC needs leading SDA.

He has led the development of new contemporary programs such as the BFA in Acting for Stage, Screen and New Media, and the upcoming BFA in Contemporary Musical Theatre, a convergent artistic partnership between SDA, the Thornton School of Music, and the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. SDA’s BA in Dramatic Arts has been reimagined to better serve our students in the 21st century world of artistic expression, and is offered in cooperation with the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Dean Bridel’s forward thinking has steered the school toward new media, professional partnerships, equity and inclusion, and the business of acting. Many of SDA’s students graduate with representation and SDA is consistently ranked among the top acting schools in the country.

And for those of you who don’t know him, he is also the founding and artistic director of The Clown School in Los Angeles, a core belief of which is that “clowning embraces and celebrates the totality of human experience and offers unparalleled freedom in art.”

This chair is a great honor for Dean Bridel, and is well-deserved. Please join me in supporting his efforts on behalf of our students in years to come.

— Michael W. Quick, May 4, 2018