Biography

Bruce Gelfand has over 30 years experience in theater, film, television, and publishing in both New York and Hollywood. His plays have won national playwriting awards, been produced Off-Broadway and in theaters around the country. He has written numerous feature films and movies-for-television, as well as writing and directing the feature-length documentary, “The Family Safe”. He is also a writer of fiction, non-fiction, songs, and award-winning poetry. His book, “Brighter the Light, Deeper the Shadow” was published in 2004. His many screenplays include “Rainbow Man”, “Bashert”, “Touched”, “The House at Otowi Bridge” and, most recently, “Refugee”, an adaptation of the award-winning Holocaust memoir “Choices”.

 

Bruce is also a renowned writing teacher and coach. He has taught at Emerson College in Boston, and in the M.F.A. program at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He has also taught hundreds of writing workshops and seminars in venues around the world, and has worked with literally thousands of writing students – from masters in the field to absolute beginners. His current online course, A WRITERS’ HOUR, is being used by writers all over the world.

 

Bruce has a list of private coaching clients that ranges from age 10 to age 95, and include CEOs, corporate trainers, Academy and Emmy-Award winning writers, directors, actors, and leaders in the worlds of politics, health, and spirituality.

Writing Credits and Professional Experience

WRITER

REFUGEE, Writer; Little Egg Productions

TOUCHED, Writer/Producer; TapTapTap Productions

SOMETHING TRUE, Writer; Golden Boy Productions

THE FAMILY SAFE, Writer/Director/Producer; in post-production

SUMMERLAND, Writer/Producer; IF Productions

UNDER THE LITTLE TOP; Longbow Productions

BUDDIES; Grossbart-Barnett Productions, ABC

TRUE COLORS; Mark Carliner Productions, ABC

DOTTIE, Writer/Producer; American Playhouse, PBS

MOLLY’S PILGRIM, Script Doctor, ACADEMY AWARD, Live Action Short

WHAT IF I’M GAY? Script Doctor, DAYTIME EMMY AWARD, CBS

Other Screenplays

RAINBOW MAN

BASHERT

THE HOUSE AT OTOWI BRIDGE

THE GIRL FROM CLEVELAND

THE PERFECT GAME

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS (with Howard Burkons)

EVERY CIRCLE HAS A CENTER

DINNER WITH A JEWISH MOTHER

STREET PEACE (with Julian Lev)

THE ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

Anthology:

BRIGHTER THE LIGHT, DEEPER THE SHADOW

Novel:

PERMISSION

Poetry:

SHINING IN PLAIN SIGHT

 

Children’s Stories:

“THE LIGHT THAT COULDN’T SHINE”

Plays/Stage Productions:

THE GLORY GLORY; Odyssey Theater; Egyptian Theater, LA.

THE CALL; FIRST PRIZE WINNER, Full-Length Competition, Festival of Emerging American Theater, Indianapolis. Also produced at Park Royal Theater, New York, NY 

PREP WORK; FIRST PRIZE WINNER, One-Act Competition, Festival of Emerging American Theater, Indianapolis. Also produced at Tomi Theater, New York, NY

THE ACCEPTANCE SPEECH; The Actor’s Gym, New York, NY

REMEMBER ME: AN ACTOR’S ROMANCE (with Deborah Rogin) Theater Metamorphose, Berkeley, CA.

THE PERFECT GAME; The Bare Stage, Berkeley, CA

 

Songs:

See: Songwriting 

 

Interactive Game

TANK GIRL; Dialogue writer; Palantine Productions, MGM

DIRECTOR

Documentary:

THE FAMILY SAFE; in post-production

 

Stage Productions:

PREP WORK; Tomi Theater, New York, NY

THE ACCEPTANCE SPEECH; The Actor’s Gym, New York, NY

THE PERFECT GAME; The Bare Stage, Berkeley, CA

.

WRITING TEACHER/COACH

Academic:

Fall, 2011… Adjunct Professor, California Institute For Integral Studies (CIIS); San Francisco, CA.

Spring, 2011…Adjunct Professor, Emerson College; Boston, MA.

Spring, 2011…Adjunct Professor, California Institute For Integral Studies (CIIS); San Francisco, CA.

Spring, 2000…Guest Lecturer at the University of New Mexico

Fall, 1998…Guest Lecturer at the University of Southern California (USC)

 

Online:

A WRITERS’ HOUR—during the Pandemic, 2020

PROMPT! — an online writing course

THE DAILY MUSE (thedailymuse.me); A Webinar – in 30 day modules – that I created and led for writers around the world.

Workshops and Retreats:

For the past 25 years I have created and led writing classes, workshops and retreats in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, San Francisco, Mendocino, New York, Boston, as well as in Mexico and Costa Rica.

Private Coaching:

I have had private coaching clients in every walk of life all over the world: from CEOs of Fortune 500 Companies to teenagers in prison, from senior citizens to Academy Award-winning film directors, from Emmy and Tony Award-winning writers to absolute beginners.

EDITOR/GHOSTWRITER:

I have mid-wifed and edited countless projects in various genres–memoir, fiction,
non-fiction–to completion.

EDUCATION:

I attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

OTHER SPECIAL SKILLS:

Published, prize-winning poet

Actor; Stand-up comedian; Comedy writer

Writing samples, treatments, reviews, testimonials, references available upon request.