Meet Brooke
After receiving a degree in Theatre Performance from the University of Oregon, Brooke moved to Los Angeles and trained for 4 years at acclaimed sketch and improv company, the Groundlings, eventually becoming a member of the Groundlings Sunday Company. During her time in L.A., Brooke joined the television show MADtv as a featured cast member. Other selected film and stage credits include: The King of Queens (CBS), Less Than Perfect (ABC), Documentary Now! (IFC), Judging Amy (CBS), Life After First Failure (The CW), Portlandia (IFC), The Benefits of Gusbandry (Amazon), Detroit (Portland Playhouse), Laughing Wild (21ten Theatre), The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe (21ten), The Pavilion and Orange Flower Water (100 Lives Repertory). For her work as Beth in Orange Flower Water, she recieved the 2025 Broadway World regional award for Best Performance in a Play.
Brooke is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of 100 Lives Repertory; an actor-focused theatre company committed to character-driven plays. Her work as a director has been produced by 100 Lives Repertory, 21ten Theatre, and the Fertile Ground Festival. Her work as a writer has been produced at The Groundlings Theatre in Los Angeles, Portland Center Stage, the Back Door Theatre, Deep End Theatre, and 21ten Theatre in Portland. She is a proud member of SAG/AFTRA and the Portland Area Theater Alliance (PATA).
Brooke is represented by Q6 Talent in Portland and managed by Artists First in Los Angeles.
What They’re Saying…
THE NEW YORK TIMES
“The Benefits of Gusbandry works the straight-gay friendship thing, deliciously thanks to sharp writing and spirited performances by Brooke Totman and Kurt Conroyd.”
PASTE MAGAZINE:
“Brooke Totman is straight-up comically delicious. She’s Kristen Wiig with a sprinkle of Leslie Mann when they’re both a little drunk, tired and horny.”
THEATRE CRITIC, DENNIS SPARKS:
“Totman is amazing at keeping us guessing as to what her persona will reveal about her next. The four main characters are so good you can’t imagine them being anybody else offstage. And that is probably the best compliment you can offer an actor. I highly recommend Portland Playhouse’s Detroit, especially for the acting.”
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:
Jackie (Brooke Totman) is a 40-year old straight woman who’s recently been dumped. River (Kurt Conroyd) is her dream man – except he’s gay. The story of their friendship is just as awkward as it is endearing, like a more honest Will & Grace”.
BROADWAY WORLD:
“Sometimes, I worry that I’m biased toward the spectacle of theatre—I love, love a big flashy show with all the bells and whistles. And then I see a show like 21ten Theatre’s LAUGHING WILD, and I remember that really great theatre doesn’t need any bells and whistles at all. A person in a chair delivering a 30-minute monologue can be just as riveting as a flying carpet, especially if that person is Brooke Totman. Her monologue is a master class in inhabiting a character”.
KRISTA GARVER, BROADWAYWORLD.COM:
“There is no better person to take up the mantle from Lily Tomlin, than Brooke Totman, an actor I’ve seen on stage only once before, several years ago, but that performance still haunts me for its sheer rawness of emotion. Here, in The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, Totman displays that same emotional depth while also being extremely funny. She skillfully brings each character to vivid life while maintaining the intricate threads that connect their stories. I wanted to spend more time with all of them.”
.