Men Shake Hands

A lifelong man of the theater, Dennis Britten began as a musician, studying composition and developing as a singer. He became a member of Actor's Equity and began to perform at an early age. After years of performing opera and musical theatre in New York City, nationally and abroad, he returned to school where he obtained an undergraduate degree, summa cum laude with departmental honor, in theater direction at SUNY Stony Brook and then continued on there to hold a master's degree in creative writing. His first novel was his master's thesis, "To Value Both." While still in NY, he collaborated with Kenneth Fuchs in writing the book and lyrics to their Off off-Broadway musical, "If Wishes Were Horses." Later, as an Asst. Professor at Arizona State University, he founded his first theatre company, Phoenix Show Space Theatre where he acted as Artistic Director and manager. Back in his home state of Oregon, he founded and became Artistic Director of Light Opera of Portland - Absurdity Done in Complete Sincerity - where his second musical, "We Met in Moscow," written in collaboration with composer, Kevin Bryant Lay was produced.Dennis is also the author of one collection of poetry, "Made in Oregon."