On Cultural Arts Day, Ryan Bernier will lead an interactive experience designed to highlight the role the performing arts play in strengthening community connection, communication, and leadership presence.  He will blend participation-based theatre activities with practical leadership takeaways that translate directly into professional environments. 

Ryan is a Florida-grown performer, writer, and director currently based in Oakland by way of Detroit, Michigan. Ryan is also part of the team at the I Can Do That! Performing Arts Center in Danville, where he is a teaching artist working with the fantastic talent in our community. He holds an M.F.A. in Acting from Wayne State University. 

As a performer, he has enjoyed exploring multiple genres of theatre including established classics, new works, and parodies. Currently on tour, he plays Dorothy Zbornak in Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue, a parody show that has held performances all across North America. In addition to his work on stage, Ryan has served as the co-artistic director for ThinkTank Theatre where he helped produce the now annual ThinkTank T.Y.A. Play Festival. He also served as the head writer for the award winning sketch collective, Some Sort Of Show.