Deirdre “DeeDee” Brenner

Writer/Producer

The Walt Disney Company Nickelodeon
Universal Animation Studios

What excites me about an upgrade to JMM’s Performing Arts Wing is the potential it extends to the students there. A school environment that values and nurtures creativity sets a foundation that will be beneficial throughout life. I loved participating in plays and musicals at Memorial – those experiences opened my mind to incredible works of art in all mediums and provided me with early insight into working creatively with others. The collaboration and organization that came with mounting a theatrical production planted the seeds and the skills that would help me build a career as a producer in animation.

Creating art encourages the exploration of a variety of influences, cultures, and perspectives – there’s an expansion of thinking that’s particularly meaningful when you’re young and curious. Painter Henri Matisse said, “Creativity takes courage.” My hope for the students of Memorial is that they’ll be breathtakingly courageous in their new Performing Arts space.