Movers & Shakers Q&A Series: Amy King Ruggaber

Hello Friends,

The world of theatre can be ruthless.  The educational frontier of the United States has gotten rather cutthroat. The world of show business can often make you forget that it’s all really grounded in art. 

So, when you find a an actor, a writer, a teacher, a theater professional that is a kindred spirit, someone who is a team player, someone who truly knows what it means to be part of an ensemble…you hold onto that friendship for life.

Amy King Ruggaber is that person for all of us at The Write Teacher(s), and we’re thrilled to bring you her exclusive Q&A for the Movers and Shakers Series! 

TWT: First things first, you’re the Director of Education Outreach at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, a singer, a teaching artist, a playwright, and an actress.  How do you juggle it all?

AKR: The truth is, I don’t!  I’m not coordinated enough to juggle, but I have learned to wear multiple hats at the same time.  Though I started out at ETC as a member of the Acting Intern Company, I fell in love with the education outreach programs they produced and was thrilled to be asked to be a part of them, but it can definitely be overwhelming!  Loving my work as an arts educator doesn’t stop me from wanting to perform, but it does limit my time, so I needed to find a way to combine my talents and skills effectively. 

 The trouble with the idea of juggling things is that something can be dropped, and no one wants to drop a piece of herself.  No one wants to look in the mirror and say, “but what about . . .” or “if only.”  Those phrases terrify me.  Because of time (and energy!) limitations, I have had to step back from the stage for a time, but I’m not ready to retire yet!  Instead, I have decided to take the same approach in my life that I do in my teaching:  I sing for my students when I teach them about vocal control and projection, I pull out my acting skills to create fun teaching personas that engage the kids, and every lesson plan is really just a play waiting to be performed with passion.  Rather than juggling the facets of who I am, I’m mixing them all together in the hopes of creating a solid foundation for the life I want to live. 

TWT: What three pieces of advice would you give to high school students wanting to pursue a career in theater?

1)   Ask for help, and ask everybody!  Theatre people are, in general, very supportive.  Talk to the crew as well as the cast.  You might find that your perfect theatre role is actually offstage!
2)   Be willing to fight for your education.  It is YOUR responsibility to eke every ounce of knowledge you can from every situation you encounter, whether in a classroom or in life.  There is a great song in A Chorus Line called ‘Nothing.’  It is about a young woman who is disparaged by her acting teacher because she doesn’t get his method of acting, and after months of beating herself up about it, realizes that it is up to HER to go find a better class.  Find the classes that feed your curiosity and enthusiasm.
3)   Develop a killer work ethic.  Don’t do the bare minimum, and never forget the big picture.  Theatre is a great training ground for many professions off-stage as well, and while you’re pounding the pavement waiting for that big chance, you have many marketable skills that can help keep food on the table.  In theatre, one learns how to market oneself, how to deliver the killer line in an argument, how to give direction to others, and manage the creation of a product.  When I was an intern at ETC, I found work through a temp office, and I was continually surprised at how valuable the ability to adapt that I had learned through theatre was.  Never forget the theatre of real life.

TWT: What’s the most memorable role you have ever played?

AKR: My favorite role was certainly Glinda the Good Witch of the North from The Wizard of Oz.  I had the whole diva costume – giant crown, scepter, hoop skirt – AND I was covered in glitter.  I loved seeing little girls dressed up as Glinda when they came to the show.  Each night I would go out to the lobby to say good night to the audience as they left, and along with any requested hug or photo, I would give each child a little dot of my glitter on the cheek, so they could have some of the magic for the ride home.  I’m attracted to all of those “fairy godmother”-type roles, because they encourage kids to keep dreaming, even when it seems impossible.

TWT: What tips would you give classroom teachers to engage reluctant readers and writers?

AKR: I was totally that kid who got bored or frustrated and asked, “why do we need to know this?”  If the only answer you can come up with is that it will be on the test, then you need to look again at why you’re teaching it.  Children love stories because, aside from copying behavior, stories are the most elemental way that we learn.  Every kid loves to tell the teacher about his or her pet kitten, or that weird dream they had last night.  Often, the students that are the most reluctant to read or write are the ones who feel like no one is listening to them, or that no one WANTS to listen to them.  Try having them write about something that is real and important to them, even if it seems scary.  Keep it confidential, if necessary.  Also, share what makes YOU passionate about the subject.  Excitement and passion is infectious with kids, so never be afraid to show yours, even if your love for poetry skews a bit more Beatnik than Tennyson!  Finally, if a student is struggling with a subject, then look at the skill set required for the subject.  You’ll likely discover that he is rather facile with one or a few of those skills.  Let him wallow in that ability, and let it build his confidence, so that he doesn’t feel defeated every time that Language Arts textbook comes out.

TWT: In todays day in age, so many people can feel overwhelmed with the multitude of things that he or she is juggling.  In our experience, age is irrelevant when it comes to being overwhelmed.  What’s the first thing you would tell our overwhelmed readers?

AKR: My motto is that it costs nothing to be kind.  When I’m feeling overwhelmed and stressed, it is easy to become a bit brittle, and to snap at those who hit that last nerve.  When I feel that coming on, I write that motto on my mirror and it constantly hangs over my desk at work.  Every time you feel like you are going to lose it, give a quick, but sincere, compliment to the next person you see.  You will feel instantly lighter when you see their smiles.

TWT: Here at The Write Teacher, many of us work with “at-risk” youth.  These students are recovering drug addicts; struggling drug addicts, teenage parents, and almost all of them come from broken homes. The struggles, demons, and anger that our students face is often a hindrance to their progress in school and life in general.  Do you have any words of wisdom to offer these students?

AKR: Terrible things happen in everybody’s life and that can, in some strange way, be a source of comfort.  Though the circumstances of our struggles can be quite different, we all have feelings of inadequacy and pain.  You are not alone, even if you think you are.  Don’t stay silent, because your story and your voice matter. The bad things that happen in your life are just part of the plot of your story.  They may help define your actions, but they do not define the character of who you are.   Also, education doesn’t just exist within school walls, so take the lessons from your own struggles and those of the people around you, and use them to become a better and stronger version of yourself.  If you get lost along the way, ask for help.  It’s out there, and it may come from some surprising sources. 

TWT: In today’s economy, arts programs in schools are being cut. What reasons would you give a politician for preserving the arts? 

AKR: For years, I was terrified of the idea of being an advocate for the arts.  Who was I to speak for the arts?  So, I made a dedicated effort last year to research and build my own skills in advocacy.   In May, I actually went to speak to our Ohio State Legislature as part of Arts Day.  What I discovered is that I had a lot to share, but I needed to get past the “warm and fuzzy” aspects of the arts.  The truth is that the arts are a major economic engine in the US.  Employers list creativity and innovation as some of the most valuable attributes for perspective employees, yet we are cutting out the subjects that teach those skills best.  How is that serving our future workforce and how is that, ultimately, serving our country? 

Furthermore, the students who struggle with literacy and mathematics often just need a fresh framework for the skills with which they grapple.  Nothing solidifies an understanding of the sequence of a story like acting it out and needing to know what costume you should be wearing and what props you will need!  We want our workforce to think outside the box, but we want our children to fill it in with a number two pencil, and that is a huge injustice to them.  If you are fighting the fight to save the arts in your school system, check out the website for Americans for the Arts and the Kennedy Center for the Arts.  Each of these sights provides an advocacy toolkit that makes standing up for the arts easier than ever.  

TWT: Here at The Write Teacher, we believe that art drives life, and theatre transforms lives.  Would you agree or disagree with those statements? Why?

AKR: I would absolutely agree!  Art is what makes us human, and it is part of what we use to define civilizations and life itself.  Theatre transforms lives because it makes us ask questions of ourselves.  It sparks conversation and introduces us to characters who are different, and yet in many ways the same, as ourselves.  One of my favorite things about my job is that I get to ask a room full of kids what they have to say to the world and help them write a play about it through ETC’s Prelude Program.  I’ve done this program with a wide range of grade levels and needs, and I am always surprised by the shock and then delight that the children express when they discover that an adult really wants to know what they think.  The plays have been about everything from a sci-fi Godzilla-like Sour Pickle to a frank and honest discussion on teenage pregnancy, but along the way, the kids discover that their ideas have merit and their voices deserve to be heard. 

How do I know that it changes lives?  Because, even though I have the students for a maximum of 10 weeks, they remember their plays years later when I run into them in the city.  Students that don’t speak in class stand before a crowd and speak their lines proudly in the play they helped write.  Children that didn’t get along before congratulate each other on a cool set design.  Parents, teachers, and volunteers cheer and offer standing ovations and high-fives to third-graders as they take a bow.  The smiles, hugs, cards, and treasures from the kids I teach remind me that the theatre has helped shape who they are, and that they will help change the world.

TWT: Just for fun, what’s your favorite movie and play?

AKR: Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati specializes in producing new works and works that are new to the region, so I get the fantastic joy of seeing some really great contemporary theatre.  I absolutely adore Next to Normal, and was thrilled that we were able to give it its regional premiere.  I think it is just brilliant on so many artistic and human levels.  I also have a soft spot for the classic Rogers and Hammerstein musicals.  Movies?  Casablanca, How to Marry a Millionaire, and anything starring Bogey and Bacall!!

TWT: Who is/was your greatest teacher?

AKR: I have been blessed with more amazing teachers than I can count, but I would have to say my parents and my husband!  My mom was also my English and American Literature teacher in high school and is whom I consistently emulate in the classroom.  Even though she is not a theatre person, per se, her example of passion for her students and their stories is always in my mind and heart.  My dad grew up on a tobacco farm in North Carolina, and he taught me the value of hard work and an education.  He also taught me that a job worth doing was worth doing well.  My husband, Brian, is a professor of design for the entertainment industry, and he continually teaches me to push the envelope and to look for the art inside the craft. 

Thank you Amy! 

Live, Love, Learn,