Ryan Case
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Ryan Case (born 1975, in Lexington, Kentucky) is an award-winning stage actor, who has also performed on radio and television. He primarily works in regional theatre.
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[edit] Background
Ryan comes from a performing tradition: His father was a big band musician and his mother a singer. His acting training includes the Lexington Shakespeare Apprenticeship Program, where he worked with Natasha Williams, Edmund Desiato, Janet Scott and Joe Gatton, as well as study at Kentucky Wesleyan College. He has musical skill on a varied number of instruments, including piano, acoustic guitar, violin, dulcimer, mandolin, and banjo.
[edit] Stage Work
Case's body of work includes parts in productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream (Thisby), Jesus Christ Superstar (Simon Zealotes), and the title role in Tartuffe. Ryan's other stage work includes The Picture of Dorian Gray (Basil), MacBeth (Young MacDuff), The Glass Menagerie (Tom), and Our Town (George Gibbs).
He has won two Best Actor awards for the title role in Bat Boy: The Musical and as 'Billy' in the drama The Cripple of Inishmaan, both performed at the Actor's Guild of Lexington. His performance in Vincent in Brixton as painter 'Vincent Van Gogh' was voted Best Acting Performance of 2005 by The Lexington Project.
Case has also been awarded two separate honors by the National Society of Arts and Letters, including First Prize in the Comedy Competition for his performance of 'Mr. Fribble' in David Garrick's Miss In Her Teens.
Also in 2005, Case starred in the world premiere presentation of the drama Contact by Doug Grissom in Tampa, Florida. He performed the role of 'Astronaut' in the play, along with actor Barry Morse, who played 'Contact'. The show was produced by Anthony Wynn.
His most recent stage work includes Harold Pinter's Family Voices, Some Things You Need To Know Before The World Ends (A Final Evening With The Illuminati), and Playwrighting 101: The Rooftop Lesson. In fall 2006, Case starred in the Kentucky premiere of the Broadway and London West End play Copenhagen, for Balagula Theatre, in which he played the pivotal role of 'Werner Heisenberg'. Copenhagen was later given an encore performance at Morehead State University in 2007.
In March 2007 he opened in Ronald Harwood's acclaimed play The Dresser, as Norman, the fussy dresser to a burned-out Shakespearian actor, followed by Power Plays working with Shayne Brakefield, as a high powered mulit-millionaire Margaret Asquyth and as the confused but solid cat burgler Lefty.
Ryan is currently in rehearsals in Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman where he is cast as Katurian Katurian. The play opens Mid-April 2008 and is directed by Natasha Williams.
[edit] Other Theatrical Work
Ryan has worked with The New Performance Group, a select troupe of professionally trained Lexington, Kentucky-area actors committed to producing quality theater. He also served as a Managing Director of Leeds Center for the Arts in Winchester, Kentucky during 2006. Ryan currently works with Lexington's The Balagula Theatre Company, a collective of theatre professionals and community activists, where he serves as artistic director.
[edit] Radio
He made is radio debut on WUKY in the play English Made Simple and later returned to play roles in the presentation of Dr. Fritz, or; The Forces of Light. In celebration of Earth Day 2007, Case is starring in the world premiere of a new theatrical play entitled Walden: The Ballad of Thoreau. Written by Michael Johnathon, the piece is airing on over 500 radio stations and tells the story of the final two days Thoreau spent in his cabin before leaving Walden Pond.
[edit] Television
He is the lead actor in True Self, a television miniseries, produced by the independent production company FILMdyne LLC. It is scheduled to air during 2007.
[edit] Awards
- 2005 - National Society of Arts and Letters; Associate Member Award
- 2005 - National Society of Arts and Letters Career Awards; Comedy Competition, First Prize Winner
- 2003 - Raymond A. Smith Excellence In Theatre Award ("Smitty"); Best Leading Actor, Bat Boy: The Musical
- 2000 - Raymond A. Smith Excellence In Theatre Award ("Smitty"); Best Leading Actor, The Cripple Of Inishmaan
[edit] References
- Perfectly Presented: Performance and Direction Elevate 'Dresser'; Lexington Herald-Leader; Mar. 9, 2007; by Candace Chaney
- Science Becomes a Star of These Shows, Lexington Herald-Leader; Aug. 20, 2006; by Rich Copley
- Before Stardom: Reinventing Vincent, Lexington Herald-Leader; Oct. 28, 2005; by Rich Copley
- Review of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', The Oscholars; Aug. 2002; by Richard Freed
- From Emerald Isle to Bluegrass, The Kentucky Kernel; Apr. 3, 2001; by Katie Richards
