Maria Bernhard

Maria Bernhard graduated from the Claremont Colleges with a B.A. in Playwriting and Directing. She won the national award from the American College Theatre Association for best writing as well as best directing of a one-act. Ms. Bernhard continued her education at the Padua Hills Playwriting Festival where she studied with Murray Mednnick and Irene Fornes, among others.

Maria’s first screenplay was optioned by PAUL BOYINGTON PRODUCTIONS in 1995. At this time, she was teaching in South Central where she was inspired to write a collection of short stories entitled SUB IN THE HOOD. One of these stories provided the inspiration for the play BELLYFRUIT , which Maria co-wrote. BELLYFRUIT was published by Applause Books in their Best Short Plays of 97/98 after it played at L.A. Theatre Center and The International Women’s Theatre Festival in Ireland. Mayor Riordan and his wife, along with the production company, Independent Women Artist’s, sponsored much of BELLYFRUIT’S transformation into a feature-length film. The film premiered to sold-out audiences at the L.A. Independent Film Festival and was picked up by Seventh Arts for distribution. BELLYFRUIT played at the Mill Valley Film Festival and has been featured in Variety, on HBO, SHOWTIME, and NPR.

As well as screenwriting for CLARE, Maria’s animation, CYBERELLAS, was optioned by Storyopolis and featured in U.S. News & World Report. Ms. Berhard’s feature script, MICHIGANDERS, is currently optioned with Dennis Hopper and Olivia D’Abo attached.