We’d love to help you get to know our incredible TBG teaching artists a little bit better, so we got Julia Ryan to answer a few questions! Check out our interview with her below…
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What is your favorite class to teach at TBG and why?
JR: N’importe quoi. My favorite class is one where the students come open, available, and ready to play. The craft of storytelling and spontaneous, believable acting becomes more refined as artists develop skills and techniques through practice and observation!
That is true at all levels; going to (or being privileged enough to helm) a great class where participants are stepping into new material and vulnerable spaces helps everyone grow. NYC joke: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice!”
When practice is play, it’s the best feeling ever.
What is something you recently learned or were reminded of in the world of acting, writing, or directing?
JR: I was recently booked for a week on a film. A talented actress playing my daughter was becoming exhausted and overwhelmed when faced with multiple takes – it seemed like she felt obligated to produce a big emotional result every time the camera rolled. On a lunch break, she privately asked if she could pick my brain about process.
We had a great talk about storytelling, relaxing, and letting go of ideas. I invited her to use some of the tools we employ here in classes at TBG. Back on set, between takes, she would lean over and whisper, “I did that one where…” and she would name the tool she had used. She became lighter, had more fun, and got through the rest of the shoot brilliantly, delivering great performances while feeling good about what she was doing.
At the end of the project, the director thanked me for my support of the whole cast, and in particular for helping this younger actress through some emotionally challenging material. It reminded me of the value of leading with love, and that even if we don’t realize it, all of our contributions get noticed.
What is a recent, current, or upcoming project that you’d like folks to know about?
JR: I have been working on a play, In Between Us, with three longtime Barrow Group friends, and I am so excited about it! For this independent project, we are writing, creating, and discovering together using our shared TBG vocabulary. The story is so good, the acting is phenomenal, and I am so grateful to be working with this talented cast. The feedback received so far has been extremely positive, and we are sharing our first workshop of this project for two weekends at the end of September.
And…Tickets are Free! Please come and see it – we need an audience to keep moving forward – and we would love to hear from you! Click this link to reserve your free ticket.
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To take a class with Julia…check out Intermediate Scene Study I: Introduction to an Approach starting 10/14!