Perspective
A euphonium player in high school marching band and in the Imperials Drum and Bugle Corps from Norwood Park, Illinois in the 1980's, Bill then earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois, working at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. After college, he performed in historical dramas at the Great American People Show in Lincoln's home New Salem, Illinois, and performed and directed and produced plays in the Chicago Off-Loop theater scene in companies like the Blind Parrot Theatre for four seasons.
In Los Angeles he has worked in televisionpost production as a story assistant for VH1's gay sports drama Shirts and Skins, and at The Magical Elves in the story department of Top Chef and Top Chef Just Desserts. Bill worked on the galley of the first Top Chef cookbook, editing recipes for publication.
Bill has performed at the Groundlings School in Los Angeles and on the Second City Los Angeles stage and wrote the improvisation textbook Improvisation for Actors and Writers which has sold thousands of copies, and is the primary textbook for improvisational comedy theater schools like the Four Day Weekend in Dallas, Texas. The book's foreword was written by the father of SNL star Chris Kattan, Kip King. Both were Groundlings company members and lifelong comedians.
Bill wrote and produced the documentary Among the Rugged Peaks, about the life of Universal Studios actress and dancer Carla Laemmle of the Universal Studios founding family, the Laemmle's. The documentary was edited by Mary DeChambres who has won several Emmy awards for television editing. Among the Rugged Peaks won an award at the Long Beach film festival, and is pending distribution.
Bill's marching arts shows include creating the concepts and drill for the indoor color guard shows Aladdin (2019), and Spartacus (2021) for Grant Community High School in Fox Lake, Illinois, directed by Rita Gier. He designed the concept for Jackson County Comprehensive High School's outdoor marching band show Letting Go (2019) directed by Nick Golding. Bill enjoys the single life, living on the North side of Chicago. He enjoys bike-riding, Midwest drum corps alumni gatherings, and Chicago theatre.
Bill Lynnbrutusln9@g mail.com