Bryan Renaud
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I am the head writer for the Scary Stories Around the Fire podcast, now in over 90 countries! The stories serve as the inspiration for my feature debut, VIRAL.

"Ridiculous, open-hearted, trashy and touching."
Chicago Reader, reviewing Barney the Elf

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BARNEY THE ELF
Produced in Chicago: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
When Santa makes an untimely exit, his wicked son begins a not-so-jolly reign as the new head of Christmas, and Barney the Elf is forced to leave his home. Can he truly leave Christmas behind for a new life in the big city? "Rather endearing [with] surprising emotional payoffs...Renaud and his collaborators may well have a fringe holiday repeat hit to call home for the holidays." - Chicago Tribune
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TWELFTH NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
Premiered in August 2013 from Shakespeare at the Centre, with productions following in Chicago (2013), North Carolina (2014), and Canada (2016).  What happens when a zombie apocalypse plagues a production of one of the bard's funniest comedies? Join the cast on stage and off as they attempt to survive - without letting the audience know what's happening! A throwback farce with surprising poignancy, Twelfth Night of the Living Dead puts “the show must go on on” to the test.
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LADIES NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
Premiered in September 2015 from The Chicago Fringe Festival and Random Acts. A cheap hotel room with a bathtub full of booze ensures that Sarah's bachelorette party will be a prenuptial night to remember - but when a zombie outbreak plagues Chicago, she and her friends find themselves battling challenges much more sobering than waking up naked in the IHOP bathroom. ​ "Hilarious!" - Chicago Reader
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​"Romantic and realistic."
Chicago Theater Beat, reviewing Other Letters

more plays

Strangest Things! The Musical premiered in March 2017 from Random Acts. The musical parody of Stranger Things extended twice, running for fifty performances and eventually closing in July 2017. The musical was subsequently produced by Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre at Millikin University in April 2018.  "Highly Recommended" - Chicago Reader. 
​

All Our Twilight premiered in March 2015 from Random Acts. The musical parody of The Twilight Saga is co-written with Emily Schmidt.

Other Letters, a queer take on Love Letters, premiered in winter 2016 from Other Theatre. The play has since been produced across the country and virtually. 

works by year of premiere

Twelfth Night of the Living Dead (2013)
The Way We Are (One Act) (2013) 
Out (One Act) (2014)
All Our Twilight (2015)
Ladies Night of the Living Dead (2015)
Barney the Elf (2015)
Other Letters (2016) 
​Strangest Things! The Musical (2017)
Scary Stories: Are You Afraid? (2019)
Skype Sex (2020) digital short
Secret Santa (2020) digital short
Scary Stories: Dark Web (2020) ​film 
Channel 13 (2021) ​comedy series 
Scary Stories Around the Fire (2021) audio series
MPR Radio (2022) audio comedy
VIRAL (2023) film 

​"Built on solid writing and gory humor
, Ladies Night not only passes the Bechdel test with flying colors but does so in a typically male-dominated genre."

NewCity Stage, reviewing Ladies Night of the Living Dead​


​workshops

The Hole - Other Theatre, July 2015
Lion - Random Acts, September 2017


​upcoming & past productions

VIRAL - Random Acts (film, October 2023)
TWELFTH NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD - West Brunswick High (Shallotte, NC, Oct 2022)
​MPR RADIO - Random Acts (audio series, March 2022 - )
SCARY STORIES AROUND THE FIRE - Random Acts (audio series, Oct 2021 - )
OTHER LETTERS - Vanilla Box Productions (Worcester, MA - Feb 2021)
CHANNEL 13 - Random Acts (web series, Feb 2021 -)
SCARY STORIES: DARK WEB - Random Acts (digital - Oct 2020)
OTHER LETTERS - Theatre Rhinoceros (San Francisco, CA - Sept 2020)
SCARY STORIES: ARE YOU AFRAID? - Random Acts (Chicago - Oct 2019)
BARNEY THE ELF - Pride Arts (Chicago - Dec 2018-Jan 2019)
STRANGEST THINGS! - Pipe Dreams/Millikin (Decature, IL - April 2018)
BARNEY THE ELF - Other Theatre (Chicago, Nov-Dec 2018)
LION (Workshop) - Random Acts (Chicago - Sept 2017)
OTHER LETTERS - Town & Country Players (Buckingham, PA - Aug 2017)
STRANGEST THINGS!* - Random Acts (Chicago - March-July 2017)
BARNEY THE ELF - Other Theatre (Chicago - Nov 2016-Jan 2017)
AWKWARD FAMILY GATHERINGS - Random Acts (Chicago - Dec 2016-Jan 2017)
TWELFTH NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD - Random Acts (Chicago - Oct 2016)
TWELFTH NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD - Algonquin College (Ottawa, ON - April 2016)
OTHER LETTERS - Other Theatre (Chicago - Feb 2016)
BARNEY THE ELF - Other Theatre (Chicago - Dec 2015)
LADIES NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD - Random Acts (Chicago - Sept-Oct 2015)
THE HOLE (Workshop) - Other Theatre (Naperville, IL - July 2015)
ALL OUR TWILIGHT - Random Acts (Chicago - March 2015)
TWELFTH NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD - Naperville High (Naperville IL - Feb 2015)
OUT - Other Theatre (Chicago - Nov 2014)
TWELFTH NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD - West Brunswick High (Shallotte, NC - Oct 2014)
THE WAY WE ARE - North Central College (Naperville, IL - Nov 2013)
TWELFTH NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD - Gorilla Tango (Chicago - Oct 2013)
TWELFTH NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD - Shakespeare on Clark (Batavia, IL - Aug 2013)
​**Winner! Best New Work - Chicago Theatre Awards 2017
Nominated, Best New Work 2017 - BroadwayWorld and Chicago Reader 
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