In 1947, after having served in the armed forces in World War II, Broderick, a junior pre-med student, auditioned for a part in the University of New Hampshire production of George Bernard Shaw's "Arms and the Man". Faculty advisor to the student drama club, Mask and Dagger, (and director) J. "Joe" Donald Batcheller was impressed and gave him the role of Bluntschli, an anti-romantic Swiss soldier. Batcheller said, "You could tell from the beginning that he was an exceptional individual. He displayed an unusual ability to get along with people. He was kind, sensitive, imaginative, and had a good sense of humor. He also had an Irish mug if I ever saw one."