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Bill O'Brien | |
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| Alma mater | University of Northern Iowa |
| Occupation | Actor |
Bill O'Brien is an American television series actor and the Senior Advisor for Program Innovation at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
O'Brien was appointed by the Deputy Chairman of Grants & Awards of the National Endowment for the Arts [1] , shortly after the election of President Barack Obama in 2008. [1] At the NEA, O'Brien led the Walter Reed/NEA Healing Arts Partnership, which included Operation Homecoming, the repatriation of US POWs returned at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. This initiative explored the role of the arts in assisting military service members recovering from traumatic brain injuries and psychological health issues. He also led the State Department's Declaration of Learning initiative.[ citation needed ]
O'Brien graduated with a degree in Musical Theater from the University of Northern Iowa in 1985. [2] [3] He was nominated as the NEA's Director of Theater and Musical Theater [3] in July 2006. In 2007, he designed and launched the NEA National New Play Development Program, administered by Arena Stage, which included the NEA Outstanding New American Play and the Distinguished New Play Development selections. [4]
Before joining the NEA, he served for seven years as producing director and managing director for Deaf West Theater (DWT). [3] The Broadway production of Big River, produced by Deaf West Theater during O’Brien’s tenure, was nominated for a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award. He also received three Ovation Award nominations for his work on the Deaf West production of Big River as producer, sound designer, and lead actor. The production won three Best Musical awards (Ovation, LADCC, and Back Stage Garland Awards), and the cast of Big River was awarded the 2004 Tony for Excellence in Theatre. Other productions he produced for Deaf West include A Streetcar Named Desire (Ovation Award for Best Play) and Oliver! (Ovation Award for Best Musical). [5]
O'Brien has also served as executive vice president on the executive board of the National Alliance for Music Theater and as a task force member, conference speaker, and grant panelist with Theater Communications Group, both national service organizations for the theater and musical theater fields.[ citation needed ] O'Brien has performed onstage in 48 states in numerous national touring and regional productions and was an American College Theater Festival Irene Ryan Acting Competition National Finalist.[ citation needed ]
O'Brien appeared in all seven seasons as Kenny, the ASL interpreter for Joey Lucas (played by Marlee Matlin), on The West Wing .[ citation needed ] He learned ASL while working at the National Technical Institute of the Deaf.
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Additional Actor/Singer/Composer/Songwriter Credits
