July 14, 2014
A Canadian-born actress, now based in L.A., finds unexpected delights in guiding a group of motley elementary schoolers through a performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. Having transitioned in her career somewhat bitterly from stage acting to coaching actors for auditions, Ryane responded gallantly to a plea by her local California public school, largely Hispanic and poor, for programming help: her after-school Shakespeare Club attracted a dozen or so curious kids (several quit along the way), mostly girls, some more rambunctious than others, but all eager for a new experience even if they had never seen a play in their life. Mesmerized by the strange wonders of the Elizabethan era and the powerful effects of the stage, for example, being able to enact emotions that are censured in real life like anger and revenge, the children absorbed the difficult language, and even excelled. Using plenty of incentives like parties and hugs, Ryane had to negotiate the delicate business of unstable home lives; the children’s penchant for potty humor, rendering a character called Bottom screechingly funny; and the fine art of casting. In her lively memoir reaching back to moments in her own acting career, Ryane manages both to be funny and not take herself too seriously, though the respect she instilled in the children is remarkable: respect for her direction, for each other, and for the genius of Shakespeare.
March 15, 2015
A former actress shares her experiences running a Shakespeare acting club at a Los Angeles elementary school as well as reflections on her own life and career. Canadian-born actress Ryane had walked away from an acting career and was working as an acting coach and living in LA with her husband, William, when she spotted a flyer that asked for "civilian help" to make Arden Street Elementary "the best school possible." She volunteered to run an after-school Shakespeare acting club at the school, where students were mostly of color and from low-income families, and transformed a rowdy, distracted group of children into an acting troupe ready to perform A Midsummer Night's Dream. She had them follow "rules" for the club: respect each other, Shakespeare, and the acting process and write in journals (excerpts are included here). Ryane soon realized that her group had issues beyond her own experience (literacy challenges) and reminiscent of her own life (facing the scrutiny of casting); she includes several autobiographical flashback sequences for context. Throughout the rehearsal process, Ryane learned to navigate the balance of leading and learning from the children, who proudly came together to play Titania, Bottom, et al., by year's end. Ryane brings a wry tone to this highly enjoyable memoir, and parents and teachers will undoubtedly appreciate her stories about working with children who are by turns sweet and wily. She effectively brings her pint-size players to life; Miles, the only boy in the production, is a particularly well-drawn character who goes from just wanting to swing a sword to itching to play Hamlet. It's inspiring how Ryane helped these kids step up to Shakespeare, and their journal excerpts are often hilarious ("William Shakespeare went to London because I like his plays"). The inclusion of various excerpts from Shakespeare's works also underscores the evergreen emotional connections to be found in the Bard's work. Overall, a bravura performance. A charming memoir that will amuse and inspire parents, teachers, and Shakespeare fans.
A former actress shares her experiences running a Shakespeare acting club at a Los Angeles elementary school as well as reflections on her own life and career. Canadian-born actress Ryane had walked away from an acting career and was working as an acting coach and living in LA with her husband, William, when she spotted a flyer that asked for "civilian help" to make Arden Street Elementary "the best school possible." She volunteered to run an after-school Shakespeare acting club at the school, where students were mostly of color and from low-income families, and transformed a rowdy, distracted group of children into an acting troupe ready to perform A Midsummer Night's Dream. She had them follow "rules" for the club: respect each other, Shakespeare, and the acting process and write in journals (excerpts are included here). Ryane soon realized that her group had issues beyond her own experience (literacy challenges) and reminiscent of her own life (facing the scrutiny of casting); she includes several autobiographical flashback sequences for context. Throughout the rehearsal process, Ryane learned to navigate the balance of leading and learning from the children, who proudly came together to play Titania, Bottom, et al., by year's end. Ryane brings a wry tone to this highly enjoyable memoir, and parents and teachers will undoubtedly appreciate her stories about working with children who are by turns sweet and wily. She effectively brings her pint-size players to life; Miles, the only boy in the production, is a particularly well-drawn character who goes from just wanting to swing a sword to itching to play Hamlet. It's inspiring how Ryane helped these kids step up to Shakespeare, and their journal excerpts are often hilarious ("William Shakespeare went to London because I like his plays"). The inclusion of various excerpts from Shakespeare's works also underscores the evergreen emotional connections to be found in the Bard's work. Overall, a bravura performance. A charming memoir that will amuse and inspire parents, teachers, and Shakespeare fans. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.