Cowboys & Mermaids & The Deer Woman! 2019-2020

Oops! Time flies! It’s been two years since I last updated, and I have been appropriately busy! :) Let’s have fun and start with what I’m doing now and work backwards…

She Was the Deputy’s Wife

I am back home in Los Angeles after a tumultuous experience working on one of the last film productions in the country as the global covid 19 pandemic slowly shut down all film sets. I was on location in Arizona shooting a Western feature film called She Was The Deputy’s Wife. We were isolated in a very small town, which is what enabled us to keep working. I played the lead role (the Deputy’s wife Mabel), and I feel extraordinarily lucky to have been a part of something this special at a time of such fear and uncertainty . The story is beautiful, the cast and crew are incredible, and my character is very close to my heart. Plus, I got to shoot guns and ride horses!

Working on this film was a gift. I absolutely love being a working actor, and being the lead in a movie was an experience that gave and taught me so much. I cannot wait to get back on set, once the outbreak subsides…

Screen shot from She Was The Deputy’s Wife

Screen shot from She Was The Deputy’s Wife

Mermaid Down

In October of 2019, after four years of post-production (and patiently waiting), we finally got to celebrate the world premiere of Mermaid Down! This was a huge deal for me. It was my first red carpet premiere and it was held at the Grove in Beverly Hills, followed by an after-party at a mermaid-themed bar downtown. I loved the film and was so proud of the entire hardworking team. I’ll never forget this experience.

If you want to watch Mermaid Down, you can! It is available on Amazon Prime Video among some other platforms like iTunes, GooglePlay and YouTube, and at Walmart stores. I play Reyna, a tempestuous Girl Interrupted-like character with trust issues and an axe to grind.

Mermaid Down

Mermaid Down

Badland

In June of 2019 I completed principle photography on my first Western feature film! The film is called Badland, and it was my biggest production I’ve done so far, even earning me my coveted SAG eligibility! Many big name actors are in the film (including Bruce Dern, Mira Sorvino, Jeff Fahey and Amanda Wyss), which really enhanced my experience and taught me a lot about acting on set. I play a soiled dove named Nellie Lyle who attempts to seduce the lead character, played by Kevin Makely. This project was truly a game-changer for me, and renewed my love of Westerns. It was on this project that I met the person who would introduce me to the 12 Westerns in 12 Months project, which led me to being cast as Mabel in She Was The Deputy’s Wife. My take-away: Westerns beget Westerns!

Badland premiered in November and enjoyed a limited theatrical run. It is now available on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Fandango Now, GooglePlay, DirectTV, Comcast, AppleTV and more. It is also in Target, Walmart, Best Buy and Redbox!

As of today, it is also listed as one of the top ten movies on Netflix! Since we are in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, I guess I’m not the only one who has the Armageddon cowboy blues!

Coincidentally, the lead actor and producer of Badland, Kevin Makely, is from the same small town in New York as my mom. When it was announced that the local movie theatre would host the New York premiere in December, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to see myself on the big screen with my family! So Kevin and I both flew “home” to experience our Western with our loved ones, and it was amazing. We even got a write up in the local newspaper, The Poughkeepsie Journal!

Deer Woman

Still working backwards, in May of 2019 I produced my one-woman show Deer Woman: An Autobiographical Tale of an Exotic Dancer and a Magical Encounter, at the Son of Semele Solo Creation Festival! I am proud to say it was an incredible success — the run was sold out and extended for three extra performances! The director of my show, Valerie Hager, inspired me when I saw her one-woman show Naked in Alaska a few years ago. We kept in touch and I worked up the nerve to ask her to direct and co-develop my solo performance, to which she enthusiastically agreed, which was my dream come true. It was the auspicious beginning of a profoundly deep friendship. Working with her is like having magic pixie-dust sprinkled on your head, and suddenly you’re flying. She helped me transform a scrapbook of diary entries and loose theatrical sketches into a piece of transcendental theatre.

Deer Woman is my story of being an exotic dancer who is looking to reconcile my love of stripping with the primal rage of feeling disempowered by the incremental violations that occur nightly in the club. Based on my real-life events as well as a fantastical vision I had in 2012, the “Deer Woman” is what happens when I allow the rage to rise to the surface.

After the sold-out, extended run at the Solo Creation Festival, Valerie and I went back to work to refine the show and also add approximately 10 minutes of new material. The newest 45 minute version of the show was selected for the 2020 Solofest at the Whitefire Theatre, which was a one-night affair and so much fun! I played to a packed house and I was very proud of my performance. Deer Woman was also selected as one of the Solofest 2020 Best of the Fest!

Next on the docket was due to be the 2020 Hollywood Fringe Festival, but the covid crisis has disrupted this plan. We’ll see how HFF 2020 adapts… for now, there is talk about postponing the festival until the Fall. I’m curious to see what happens. With an open mind, I cherish the extra time to further develop this piece!

Rave reviews from Solofest 2020 at the Whitefire Theatre:

“Megan Rippey is all woman... brilliant, beautiful, powerful, contradictory and brave... so exquisitely good, such an amazing presence, her characters full of life and humor and quirk.”
— NoHo Arts District
“...fun and hauntingly honest... ”
— Tolucan Times
“Strange and unusual and totally, fearlessly real.”
— NoHo Arts District
“The most impressive dimension of the show is how she boldly challenges us to consider the inner lives of the actual, three-dimensional people who entertain us from the stage, all of whom have their own unique story.”
— Tolucan Times
“as she dances, performing incredibly athletic and frankly gorgeous feats of agility, she beautifully dominates us.”
— NoHo Arts District
“Megan Rippey is utterly believable. The dance, the story, the fearless sexuality and the beautiful Deer Woman... I barely breathed the entire show. I found it so inspiring and intriguing and warmly dangerous... I absolutely loved it. The last few minutes are a gift worth waiting for... we meet Deer Woman and she is everything we hoped...”
— NoHo Arts District
“...a fascinating story of contrasts... Rippey’s production is captivating, imbued with a wide range of emotions.”
— Tolucan Times

Perfect Arrangement

Oh man, now I’m in ancient history territory… Way back before my solo show came to fruition, I was back in Florida doing a play! Let’s see, that would have been early January through early March of 2019. The play was Perfect Arrangement by Topher Payne, directed by one of my all-time favorite directors Eric Davis (who also directed me in Marie Antoinette in 2017), and I played Norma Baxter. This was such a fun production, with a great group of actors whom became my fast friends.

Based on the true stories of the Lavender Scare in the 1950s, Perfect Arrangement is a dramady that follows two closeted homosexual pairs who are legally married to each other’s spouses, and live next door to each other in a carefully constructed, “perfect arrangement” in order to escape detection from the people they work for in the State Department, whom at that time (in real life) were investigating anyone suspected of being gay and firing them, ruining lives and actually driving many to suicide. In slapstick comedy fashion, the two households are connected by a shared CLOSET, and there are some precious scenes of the couples rushing back and forth through the secret closet in order to keep their secret lives, secret. At the end, though, the cat’s out of the bag, the comedy gets snuffed out and the play ends with tears and stunned silence. Playing Norma was a new challenge for me emotionally, and I learned so much from her. I was so lucky to work with Eric again, and so lucky to have such a great cast.

Plus, I got to be on local Tampa TV again! So much fun getting interviewed on the Morning Blend and Daytime!

Here are some of our rave reviews!

“PERFECT ARRANGEMENT is freeFall Theatre’s Finest Show in Years”
— BWW
“[Megan Therese Rippey is] lithe and sophisticated as Norma Baxter.”
— Creative Pinellas
“...resonates strongly... ”
— Talkin Broadway
“Each of the four actors display admirable range in setting both a campy and dramatic tone throughout.”
— Creative Pinellas
“It’s an immensely powerful ending to the play, and I doubt I will ever get over it.”
— BWW
“freeFall Artistic Director Eric Davis once again does a fantastic job of eliciting authentic performances...”
— Creative Pinellas
“The acting is uniformly outstanding... Megan Therese Rippey is incredibly layered as Norma Baxter... Her ending scene is a sock in the gut.”
— BWW
“The play overall is a must-see, and the message is, sadly, one that we still have much to learn from. ”
— Creative Pinellas

During the run of the show, I was also profiled by the online publication St. Pete Catalyst! Check on my interview here.

I think that might finally conclude this ridiculously long update! Thanks for hanging in there! Hopefully the next update will be sooner than a year and a half in the future…

Megan

God Save the Queen! (& Best Featured Actress Nom, & Wedding, & Mermaid Down Trailer!)

A lot has happened since my last update! Most notably, I was cast in one of my dream roles (also my first ever title role!): Marie Antoinette in the play Marie Antoinette by David Adjmi! It was the experience of a lifetime to work with director Eric Davis at freeFall Theatre in St. Petersburg, Florida, bringing this buoyant and colorful character to life.  I will remember this production for the rest of my life. What pure fun! (And the reviews were fantastic - read them below!)

Photo by Steven Le

Photo by Steven Le

Photo by Steven Le

Photo by Steven Le

“The acting is the strongest element in this production, with Megan Therese Rippey a standout as our heroine.”
— Talkin Broadway
“Compelling Megan Therese Rippey goes all out to make Marie real... an anti-heroine playing at being a queen and even herself.”
— Total Theater
“Megan Therese Rippey is well cast as Marie, who lands a supple depiction of an alert but uneducated woman whose true nobility shines once she is stripped of her crown.”
— Tampa Bay Times
““The acting is top-notch... Rippey is particularly good... This is a daringly unsympathetic performance, and it works well.”
— Creative Loafing
“[Playwright David Adjmi’s] take on Marie seems to be a girl interrupted, effectively brought to life by star Megan Therese Rippey.”
— Creative Pinellas
“Amazing performances... as fun as an out of control carousel, with moments that left the audience breathless... Megan Therese Rippey succeeds beautifully as the titular Queen of France and Navarre. We see growth in her, from impudent wife of Louis XVI who cannot get pregnant, to a celebrity clouded in tons of eye-popping gossip, and ultimately to her latter days—as a prisoner who knows the end is near.”
— Broadway World

I was also on the TV show Morning Blend again! Click here to watch my interview! 

Screen Shot 2018-02-09 at 7.27.48 PM.png

And I was on a radio show!  Click here to listen! The talking starts at 10:50, and you can also skip ahead to hear us do the radio play version of a scene Marie Antoinette at 30:25. Maybe one of my smartest sounding answers begins with a question at 33:30. ;) This was so fun, thank you WMNF 88.5 Art In Your Ear! 

Being Marie brought me so much joy and taught me so much about who I am as an actor. I found a renewed sense of confidence in myself and in my work that was really able to shine, and I was given the opportunity work with an incredible creative team that brought the world of Adjmi's play to life. 

I also have some news about the previous production I did at freeFall Theatre, Red Velvet. If you look back at my previous blog post you can see me recount how I agonized over feelings of inadequacy and the "actor's imposter syndrome" as I struggled to learn three new dialects and two scenes in a foreign language. Today I would like to announce that I was nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Play for the characters I played in Red Velvet, courtesy of Theatre Tampa Bay. This was my first nomination - ever - and I am thunderstruck with humble gratitude. To have been so riddled with anxiety about this work and then to receive such high praise for what I accomplished is a blessing and truly a surprise. This was a lesson for me to believe in myself, and I am taking it to heart. Thank you, Theatre Tampa Bay!

Oh yeah, and in September I got married! It was a mystical mashup of enchanting Scottish-Irish folklore in the redwoods meets Cowboy-Unicorn Railroad pageantry and I loved every second of it! 

Photo by Heather Armstrong

Photo by Heather Armstrong

Photo by Heather Armstrong

Photo by Heather Armstrong

Photo by Heather Armstrong

Photo by Heather Armstrong

Photo by Heather Armstrong

Photo by Heather Armstrong

Another piece of news is that after three years of being very, very patient, the trailer for one of my FAVORITE projects was just released! Behold the trailer for the feature film Mermaid Down!!

The final piece of news is that I signed with new Management! I am now managed by Dora Whitaker of Whitaker Entertainment and I am very excited about what 2018 holds... bring it on! 

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow my Instagram and my Facebook page if you aren't already! And just for fun, here is a super short video I directed of myself doing a classic burlesque striptease! I love playing what I am... :) Cinematography by Karim Meg. Bye! xoxo

Three New Accents in Red Velvet!

Hello! Spring is here! The first half of 2017 has been amazing. I was cast in a play called Red Velvet at freeFall Theatre in St. Petersburg, Florida, and it was a lesson in GROWTH, SELF-CONFIDENCE, and TRIUMPH! When I found out that the three roles that were mine required an RP British accent, a Polish accent, a Yorkshire accent, and a whole scene spoken (convincingly!) in German, I was stunned. My first thoughts were, "They've hired the wrong actor. There is no way I am qualified. They're going to find me out and send me back to California." This is called the Actor's Imposter Syndrome, and it happens to the best of us. That being said, I had no choice to but to buck up and tackle this challenge - and after A LOT of hard work, hours and hours and hours of studying, and no less than four seasons of Downton Abbey, I did it. I'm happy to report that the play was amazing, and I proved to myself that I am capable of way more than I gave myself credit for.

16991783_954642008753_6676810353312481682_o.jpg

Here I am promoting the play on the WFLA Daytime TV Show with Jerry and Cyndi in Tampa! The full interview can be watched here. And below is a teaser!

“This cast has depth and versatility... Megan Therese Rippey is particularly impressive as a young reporter in the opening and closing scenes, a flighty Othello cast member and Aldridge’s wife.

An unforgettable experience.”
— Andrew Meacham, Tampa Bay TImes
“A first rate production... Megan Therese Rippey turns in admirable work. (But why has the author given Aldridge’s wife, played by Rippey, so little stage time?)”
— Creative Loafing Tampa
“This is a solid piece work, held together by strong performances throughout the ensemble.”
— Tampa Bay TImes

HUSTLIN': Six Short Films and Two Plays in Six Months!

The past six months have been an absolute whirlwind of creativity with old friends, new friends and incredible collaborators! I have completed work on a total of SIX short films, and have opened two world premiere plays, both of which are either still running or have been awarded an extension.

Here are some fun photos from being on set!

Della & Mae: 1950s style lesbian romance drama

Della & Mae: 1950s style lesbian romance drama

Queen of the Angels: 1940s heist film noir

Queen of the Angels: 1940s heist film noir

Wonder: 1950s style experimental surrealist lesbian film erotica

Wonder: 1950s style experimental surrealist lesbian film erotica

Red Molly: 1870s Western

Red Molly: 1870s Western

Languish: contemporary lesbian drama

Languish: contemporary lesbian drama

Jimbo: 1990s heist art film

Jimbo: 1990s heist art film

Each of these films has been an amazing experience, and I can't wait for the chance for them to be seen in festivals!

The plays I have been working on are these: The Dryway: a merfolk opera and Shakespeare's Rose Queen. The Dryway is a one-act piece featuring prose, poetry, American folk music and innovative choreography to tell the mythic story of the mermaid Melusine, who with her two sisters was banished from the ocean and forced to learn how to survive in the world of men. It was written by one of my best friends and is very close to my heart. We premiered it at the Son of Semele Creation Festival in LA, and it was granted an extension in March! The dates and times are Friday March 18th at 8pm, Saturday March 19th at 8pm, and Sunday March 20th at 5pm. Here is a link to buy tickets:  The Dryway Encore! And below is our teaser trailer for your enticement.

DRYWAY.jpg
“I was thunderstruck. Not only because each actor showed the talent and focus to commit totally to this weird dreamlike world, but they brought each sister to life in such a way the climax—the moment of decision—seemed absolutely inevitable, courageous and tragic and utterly beautiful all at the same time.”
— David MacDowell Blue
“The Dryway has much to say about the trials of being a woman, and becoming fully human; much also about the way our wounds and limitations can become our gifts and strengths. But all of this runs silent, like the ocean’s currents, below a fast-moving and constantly entertaining surface.”
— Theatre Ghost
“...winningly performed by the cast of A’Raelle Flynn-Bolden, Megan Rippey and Green... all three performers render evocative and sympathetic merfolk.”
— Stage Raw, Lyle Zimskind
“An enthralling triptych of the perils of womanhood.”
— Aubree Lynn
“Each actor plays her part with such deftness and generosity and when those parts come together the result is explosive, rollicking, otherworldly fun that manages to be both traditional and timeless, celebratory yet rebellious, magical yet grounded in the womb. Holy Mother, do yourself a favor and go see this show.”
— Gyasi Silas

The second play I am currently working on is Shakespeare's Rose Queen, an adaptation of Henry VI Parts 1-3 and Richard III to tell the complete story of Queen Margaret, using only Shakespeare's original text. The play is adapted and directed by Brian Elerding with the Ensemble Shakespeare Theater in Pasadena, and will have four more performances: Saturday March 5th at 8pm, Sunday March 6th at 7pm, Saturday March 12th at 8pm and Sunday March 13th at 7pm.

This character is, simply put, my dream role. I first discovered Margaret while still a graduate student at CalArts - I fell in love with a monologue of hers from Richard III, when she is an old woman. I figured in the next 20 years I would never get the chance to play such a complicated, fascinating woman. I was wrong. When I saw the audition listing for this role I just about lost my mind! Thankfully, the Ensemble fell in love with me just as I fell in love with them, and so they put me in their play as the lead. It is my first lead in a Shakespeare play, and will likely be my favorite until I die.

For tickets, click the link and use the discount code "friends2016"!  Rose Queen Tickets

Myself as Queen Margaret with Brian White as Suffolk

Myself as Queen Margaret with Brian White as Suffolk

“The piece is a thought-provoking study... painting a fascinating picture of a complex and powerful woman.

As Margaret, Megan Rippey... becomes a study in nuance. Here is a conniving queen who keeps score of the injustices done to her family and deals out her own measure of comeuppance not in the obvious manner but in a uniquely evil and unusual way.”
— Shakespeare in LA

Check back soon for more updates! It's been a busy year so far. :)

-Megan

Two Successful Plays Across the Country, Now Back in LA!

I'm back in Los Angeles! Wow, life is crazy. In March I roadtripped across the country with my bunny Otis to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I performed in Broadway-produced playwright Katori Hall's world premiere of her play, Pussy Valley! My character was Get 'Em Gidget, a fierce but lovable poledancer at a strip club in the dirty Mississippi Delta, and the production took place at Mixed Blood Theatre, one of my new favorite theatres of all time. They are not afraid to produce bold, challenging plays and they have a policy where half of the seats at every performance are FREE on a first come, first served basis! It was an honor to work there, and I loved my wonderful cast and director Nataki Garrett with all my heart. To prepare for the role I trained as a poledancer for six months. Now my whole body has changed, and I have some pretty impressive muscles! And meeting Katori Hall and having the opportunity to bring her character to life was a dream. What an experience!

Rich Ryan Photography

Rich Ryan Photography

Don Curry Photography

Don Curry Photography

“As Gidget, Megan Rippey creates a vivid portrait of a person with few resources other than a bottomless well of hope and her ability to romanticize her life… she also demonstrates the greatest gift for the art of pole dancing.”
“amazed by the grace, the artistry, and the sheer athleticism”
“the incredible strength, focus and control, the choreographed extensions and dips, are what truly impress”
— Talkin' Broadway
“apart from delivering amazing theatrical performances, all four women also exhibit some phenomenal skill on the pole.”
— Minnesota Playlist
“extraordinary performances... Jasmine Hughes, Joetta Wright, Megan Rippey and Tatiana Williams deliver with such strength as they execute a battery of pole tricks that it is easy to forget that these are trained actors.”
— Star Tribune
“a brave quartet of core performers”
— Twin Cities Pioneer Press
“an absolutely engrossing ride into an alien but familiar world”
“strong company of actors”
“nuanced performances by the main quintet of Pink Pony characters””
— Minneapolis City Pages
“funny, sexy, heart-breaking, and devastating, and yes, features some pretty awesome pole-dancing... An epic story… compelling and engaging and hits you right in the gut.”
— Cherry and Spoon

Then, the adventures continued! While I was still in Minneapolis I got wind of a play to be produced at a brand new theatre company in Sarasota, Florida, and so I sent in a video audition and I was cast! The theatre company is Urbanite Theatre, and the play was Reborning by Zayd Dohrn (who just so happened to be in the same graduating class from Juilliard as Katori Hall - small world!). The play is about an artist who crafts life-like dolls for a living, sometimes for clients who have lost a child and are seeking a kind of therapy from the doll. The story begins as a quirky sitcom but soon unravels into a chaotic ball of psychodrama. I played the lead, Kelly, and the role stretched me in so many unexpected ways I feel that it is my best dramatic work in a long time. Big thanks to Brendon Fox, the director, for pushing me in new directions. 

Cliff Roles Photography

Cliff Roles Photography

“Megan Rippey, who plays Kelly, hails from Los Angeles. I don’t know what personal connections brought her to Urbanite, but Sarasota theatergoers are lucky to have her. Her performance is nuanced and reveals the many layers of a survivor”
— Talkin' Broadway
“dynamic and emotionally wide-ranging [performance] by Megan Rippey as Kelly.”
— Bradenton Herald
“...intriguingly offbeat.”
”...high-pitched psycho-drama..”
”As Kelly, Megan Rippey is volatile, unpredictable...”
— Creative Loafing Tampa
“Megan Rippey gives us an astonishing intensity as Kelly, whose back story and self-awareness of its implications is as honest as it is tragic.”
— Bradenton Times
“The actors embodying Dohrn’s well-drawn characters are at the top of their game. Rippey is improbably vivacious as a character who’s shut down her sexuality, humanity and possibilities for human connection... her character whipsaws between full-on psychodrama and emotional shutdown. The truth lies somewhere between the words she screams and the words she doesn’t say. Rippey makes you believe in her self-imprisoned soul.”
— Observer Media Group
“Rippey’s Kelly [is] wonderfully on-edge...”
”All three actors wonderfully convey their characters realistically despite the potentially gothic situation.”
— Total Theater

After the successful run of Reborning, I hit the road back home to LA with my bunny! My boyfriend joined us for the roadtrip and we got engaged in New Orleans, so suffice to say A LOT has happened these past four months!!

I am now working hard with my new manager, Andy Rooney of Midwest Talent, to continue evolving my film career. I missed it I can't wait for what's next! :)