Louise Ritchie and her son Akin Ritchie are both in theater, but on two sides. Louise is a performer. Akin is a technical director. Together they are a dream team. We talk about Louise's and Akin's interwoven journeys to the stage, and their hopes as we transition back to in-person performances.
Synergy Theater is back to in-person shows at the Lesher Center for the Arts, in Walnut Creek, CA! If you would like to join us, visit synergytheater.com and click on performances.
Mentioned in the show:
What makes practicing Improvised Theater an adventure? Is it overcoming your stagefright? Playing odd characters? Following a scene wherever it leads? Yes, and... it's having both the courage to follow your creative dreams and the will to be surprised by your own innate skill. In this episode, Griffen Davis Bier and Alev Gunay, of Synergy Theater, expand on these themes. And, there's Guy Fieri, Indonesian bats, and reckless drivers in Egypt - all of which could be in the next(?) episode of Adventure Serial! Watch Adventure Serial, and all of Synergy Theater's online performances, on YouTube! ...
No matter who your family is, you have a matriarch in your life. A matriarch, to me, is someone who supports you with their warmth, their wit, and their enthusiasm for your dreams. Within the Synergy Theater family, I consider Deb Kern Synergy Theater's matriarch. I've heard Kenn refer to her as his longest-running student. Lynn Shields is another powerful force for good within Synergy Theater. Lynn is a Synergy Theater player, and we talk about her foray into directing the spontaneous soap opera series Days of our Wives. Deb and Lynn are wise, funny, and dedicated to the art of improvisation. They inspire everyone around them to be their best selves on and off the stage. ...
Arlene Hutton and Heather Adams are playwrights, and so much more. Arlene may be best known for her award-winning Nibroc trilogy of plays - Last Train to Nibroc, See Rock City, and Gulf View Drive. Heather is the founder and director of AU Quills and Capes, a group dedicated to supporting young playwrights at American University. We talk about what it's like to take part in Synergy Theater's and Freestyle Rep's Write Away - event that combines writing, improv, and acting. And there's Winnie the Pooh, Sriracha, and Haiku! ...