Bryan W. Simon

Simon directed his first professional stage play at age 17, directing the regional tour of a children’s show entitled Jack and The Wishing Beans for the Roundtree Players. At age 29 Simon founded the Chicago area Stage Two Theatre Company in 1985. Stage Two under the artistic direction of Simon held a quiet national status recognized on both coasts for taking risks having staged 36 World and Midwest premieres. The troupe specialized in debuting works of new playwrights. Simon's goal for Stage Two was to stimulate thought and arouse the imagination.

The picture stars popular ventriloquists such as Comedy Central’s two-time Comedian of the Year and YouTube sensation Jeff Dunham, Tony Award winner Jay Johnson of sitcom SOAP fame and Campus Entertainer of the Year Lynn Trefzger. The film had its world premiere at The Seattle International Film Festival and played at The New York International Children’s Film Festival before being released by Salient Media and Vivendi/NBC Universal.

Patrick Hickey of The Review Fix stated, "Bryan W. Simon’s directing also brings out Johnson’s quirky and sincere style with shots that showcase his wide smile. At others, the shot selection adds some extra uniqueness. At one point in the show, Simon takes us the inside of one of Johnson’s doll’s cases. A rarely seen shot, it caps off an incredibly dramatic segment. Always in the right place at the right time, Simon’s work on this production is both well-executed and well-edited."

2010 marked the release of I'm No Dummy, the first feature length theatrical documentary about ventriloquism, examined and dissected the world of ventriloquism through clips, photos, and interviews with many of the greatest vents from today and yesterday, illustrating that this perceived novelty act is truly an extraordinary art form. I'm No Dummy was re-released in a Special Edition two-disc set and for streaming on September 18, 2015. The Special Edition was subsequently released on August 22, 2016 in the UK, Germany, Spain, France and Israel.

Simon grew up in Waukegan, Illinois and attended Waukegan High School, the College of Lake County, then the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where he graduated with a B.A. in political science. His father, Shadie Simon, was a high school English teacher, a writer, and a scriptwriter for Coronet Films, in Chicago, an educational film producer. His mother, Denise Pautz Simon, was a former school teacher and a homemaker. Simon became interested in photography and film at a young age, buying a Super 8 camera and making short films.

In 2012 Simon directed the big screen adaptation of Jay Johnson’s Tony® Award winning Broadway play, JAY JOHNSON: THE TWO & ONLY!. It was shot in Wilmington, North Carolina at the historic Thalian Hall.The film was released on Pay-Per-View in over 55 million households. In December, 2014, it was released worldwide on DVD. The film became part of the Broadway HD library and began streaming worldwide in 2015.

Dan Pearson, Sun Times Media for the Beacon-News, "I'm No Dummy, an entertaining and often eloquent 2009 documentary by Waukegan filmmaker Bryan W. Simon."

The Second Room, Simon's first film, is about an alienated architect, who is paralyzed by disengagement and fear of experience. The Second Room received the Gold Award at the Charleston International Film Festival and was one of only five shorts accepted for the AFI-Los Angeles International Film Festival in 1995. In addition, The Second Room was selected for the Discovery Series at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.