Two new faces join two old hands on the artistic
staff of PYT’s fall production of Fiddler on the
Roof.
Josiah Polhemus (pictured) and Bruce
Bierman will co-direct the show, with Bruce also
serving as choreographer. Both are new to PYT. On
the musical front, Christine Nielsen and
Linus Wong will return to PYT after having
been co-music directors for “Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor
Dreamcoat” this summer.
Josiah holds a bachelor’s degree in theater arts from
the University of California - Santa Cruz and a
master’s degree in
acting from American Conservatory Theater in San
Francisco, where he worked with Academy Award
winner William Hurt and nominee Annette Bening. He
is on faculty at Menlo College in Atherton.
Josiah has directed more than 35 plays (his most
recent, Dirty White Tuxedo Pants and a Brown
Plastic Bag, about homeless veterans, was just
featured on National Public Radio) and performed in
more than 50 (his work in Arthur Miller’s All My
Sons garnered “best featured male performance”
by the L.A. Weekly). He also starred in two feature
films made with his family: My Bad Dad and
The Scottish Tale. Both have won awards and
played in many festivals.
“I directed 48 kids in How to Succeed in Business
Without Really Trying, 67 kids in Guys and
Dolls and 76 in The Music Man, ” he
says. “I hope Fiddler will beat my current
record!”
Bruce, who also received his bachelor’s degree in
theater arts from UC-Santa Cruz, has been active as
a director-choreographer, dancer and teacher.
As a director-choreographer, Bruce worked with
numerous theater companies in Southern and
Northern California. He received the Drama-Logue
Critics Award for best choreography for his original
flamenco-inspired production of The Passion of
Carmen for Celebration Theatre in Los Angeles
and the Dean Goodman Award for his solo show,
The Blue Dress, at the New Conservatory
Theatre in San Francisco.
As a dancer, Bruce performed in many Los Angeles
Opera productions under the artistic direction of
Placido Domingo. He also toured the States with the
internationally acclaimed Aman International Folk
Ensemble, performing and teaching the dance styles
of countries around the world.
Since then, Bruce has been specializing in Jewish
dance, and he regularly performs in festivals, teaches
workshops and lectures on its history. He recently
participated in the Jewish Cultural Festival of Krakow
in Poland and the Karmiel Course for Foreign Dance
Teachers in Israel. He even plays the klezmer violin.
“I come to Fiddler with a great desire to share
the passion of Yiddish culture and dance that my
grandparents brought with them from Russia to the
New World,” he says.
PYT wishes Josiah and Bruce “mazel tov” as they
make their debut with PYT.
