Joel Bernbaum

Scholar 2020

Actor, director and playwright

University of Saskatchewan

Joel Bernbaum is an actor, director, playwright, journalist and the founding artistic director of Sum Theatre.

Engaged leadership is about building community. Locally, nationally, and internationally, we must strive to create connections promoting inclusion, justice, and kindness. Truly being engaged with our leadership means deep reciprocal relationships with the people we collaborate with. It is not a concept. It is evidenced by our actions. Actions guided by values. As an artist, this means working together in community to help our fellow citizens move a little further down the path of thinking/feeling about and engaging with the world around them.

Profile

Joel Bernbaum is an actor, director, playwright, journalist and the founding artistic director of Sum Theatre. Born and raised in Saskatoon, Joel is the only child of a Buddhist Mother and Jewish Father. He is a graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts and Carleton University, where he did his Master’s Thesis on Verbatim Theatre’s Relationship to Journalism. With Sum Theatre Joel created Saskatchewan’s first free professional live Theatre in the Park. To date, over 45,000 people have participated in Sum Theatre’s work. Joel’s produced plays include Operation Big Rock, My Rabbi (with Kayvon Khoshkam), Home Is a Beautiful Word and Reasonable Doubt (with Yvette Nolan and Lancelot Knight). Next season Victoria’s Belfry Theatre will produce his latest verbatim play: Being Here: The Refugee Project. Joel is currently a PhD student at the University of Saskatchewan, investigating the potential of theatre to strengthen cities. He lives in Saskatoon with his 4-year old son, Judah.