James Ryder is a theater artist, writer and teacher. He began performing original solo material in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1992, and has since created clown characters and performed in traditionally staged plays, including a recent production of Shakespeare's The Tempest. James studied various forms of physical theater and improvisational performance, especially Action Theater with Ruth Zaporah.
A few words about my involvement in the devising process of the Tarnival Street Theater Project. I came on board the project excited to work in an extended way with other actors to create a street theater performance. Such a circumstance unto itself would have been enough to entice my sustained creative attention. Yet, this project combines aesthetic challenge with explicit social value. The work and play we do is inspiring and intends to recast the tobacco industry in the nefarious light it richly deserves. I believe in the power of live performance, theater in specific, to shift perspectives in the world. Finally, my hope is that those who witness and engage with this event in the fall and thereafter will be moved in both heart and mind.