RG Community Newsletter ~ November 2025

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!

November is National Gratitude Month - a time to reflect on the people who helped us find our voice, our confidence, and our creative spark. As artists, none of us make the journey alone. Maybe it was a teacher who pushed you to reach higher, a mentor who opened a door, or a friend who believed in your talent before you did. This month, let’s take a moment to say thank you to those who lifted us up along the way.

In that same spirit of giving back, we’re proud to host a "No More Starving Artists" Food Drive with the Episcopal Actors’ Guild, supporting performers in NYC who are facing difficult times. When we lift each other up, our entire artistic community grows stronger.

Share your stories of gratitude with us on social media - We’d love to hear who inspired you.

(Don’t forget to tag us @ripleygrierstudios)

See you at the studios.

Graham McCarty ~ RG Creative Director

November 5th - December 5th

Stop by any Ripley-Grier location to donate non-perishable food and essential items to support the Actors Pantry at the Episcopal Actors’ Guild. Your donations will help NYC actors, dancers, and singers in need.

Most-needed items: canned meat, soups, pasta, rice, granola bars, nuts, beans, peanut butter, jelly, shampoo, conditioner, menstrual products, deodorant, and soap.

Donate to the Actors' Pantry

On Friday, November 21st - EAG Executive Director ~ Karen Lehman Foster will be on-site at our 520 8th Ave location (16th Floor lobby). She'll be happy to answer questions and provide more information about the EAG & the Actors Pantry.

If you are a performer in need, visit ActorsGuild.org

Let’s come together to prevent hunger in the NYC Performing Arts Community!

Reserve Your Spot

Visit RipleyGrierCommunity.com for more info.

Email patripleyny@gmail.com for more information.

HURRICANE RELIEF FOR JAMAICA

URGENT: PLEASE DONATE

The World Central Kitchen Relief Team is in Jamaica after Category 5 Hurricane Melissa made landfall. The storm brought destructive winds, torrential rain, widespread flooding, and has left dozens of people dead. The damage is so widespread that 60% of people in Jamaica are still without electricity. WCK is working with local partners to serve meals to families impacted by the storm.

PLEASE DONATE at any RG Location or click the link below to Donate Directly to WCK.

Donate Here!

Visit WCK.org for more information

🎉 New Studio at RG 939 8th Ave. 🎉

We're thrilled to introduce Studio 4B, the newest addition at our "Landmark" location - 939 8th Ave. This bright, spacious studio is perfect for rehearsals, workshops, or creative exploration and comes equipped with the premium features you’ve come to expect from RG: 🎹 Yamaha U1 Piano🪞 Full-length Mirrors 🔊 High-Quality Sound System 🎭 Acoustical Curtains 🩰 Marley Floors 🌞 Beautiful Natural Light.

Come check it out!!! ~ Call (212)799-5433 for booking info.

RG Black-Box Theatre @ RG 305 W. 38th St.

Perfect for your staged reading, recital, or small performance.

Retractable audience seating, professional lighting & sound available upon request.

(Comfortably seats 75 people)

Call (212)799-5433 for info.

Level-up your Audition Game with RG & The Hustle NYC - the one stop shop for Auditioners, by Auditioners. Subscribers get an exclusive 10% Studio Discount at Ripley-Grier, and full access to The Hustle NYC’s Audition Calendar, Audition Database, and classes!

Click Here for more information about The Hustle.

JOIN OUR DIGITAL REWARDS PROGRAM

Collect 5 "stamps" and receive $5 OFF your next studio rental.

Get the "STAMP ME" APP today, and receive one FREE stamp. For more info, visit the front desk at any RG location.

Welcome to November, Hope you had a fun Halloween! Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is a unique holiday. Mostly it is a day or a long weekend for families to get together in thankfulness. It is one of the fall traditions that starts a holiday period that lasts until New Year's Day. Lots of football, basketball and winter sports as well as indoor activities (mostly for foodies). “Breaking bread” with our families is a tradition of Thanksgiving; a set day that can be “planned for” helps us reconnect with friends and family who we may not get to see often as many families are not centered in one area or town. Lots of traveling for some..

The origin of Thanksgiving was a positive event. The English colonists shared a meal with the local native population giving thanks for the harvest. That good faith soured when an element of the colonists/settlers decided they wanted the natives land and took it by force, a black mark in our history. This sad progression is echoed in all of world history for thousands of years as many others have followed the same path. Humans seem to be hell bent on creating chaos in the world through religious fervor, greed and the constant dissatisfaction with our roles as custodians of our natural environment and our Earth. It is a pagan soup we simmer in and we have not evolved. In fact it seems these days we are becoming more uncivilized and barbaric. It’s so disappointing the direction we are moving. My generation,” the boomers” was so hopeful and active, but we became part of the problem as well. It’s no wonder that current generations find themselves faced with a disappointing path to the future. The current influential civilizations in the world are not good examples of teaching generations how to govern with empathy and purpose. Where is the effort for the “fortunate ones” to responsibly stand up and in guard so the less fortunate in our midst do not become desolate and desperate in their pursuit of their right to be safe, secure, and able to enjoy life. Observing the current socio-political atmosphere shows we are going backward, not forward. It is vital to the future to not “fade away”.

Thanksgiving is also the start of the social/eating/drinking season. My advice is to temper your activities and watch the temptation to drink and overeat, especially in a less than healthy way. Keep going outside even when the temperature is in the 40’s. Get to the gym or class regularly. Keep your fitness in mind at all times; walking has been deemed to be the best way to do that and it is free. Enjoy the beautiful fall foliage, go to the park, hike or take a long walk. Sleep well, 8 hours in a cool and dark room, use a humidifier. Hydrate and eat mindfully. Wear a mask if necessary, flu season is here; do your best to stave off any winter maladies. Open your windows and clear the air often. Dress appropriately and endeavor to go through your summer and winter clothes, donate them to folks who need them. Participate in food drives and other humanitarian efforts. Declutter your storage areas, and deep clean your home.

Enjoy the holidays, including great seasonal entertainment, movies, theatre, ballet, and outdoor activities. Most of all enjoy your life, have compassion for others, be grateful for friends, family and co-workers, and endeavor to contribute to the future in a positive way..

Better & Better, Patricia Ripley-Grier

Hi everyone!

This past month I went to a few more Twenty One Pilots shows and New York Comic Con!

I went to the Twenty One Pilots show in Hartford, CT and traded some keychains I made for a lot of fanmade art, bracelets, keychains, and more! I do this at every show but the fans at Hartford seemed to have a wider variety of things to trade compared to other cities. The next day my friend drove us to Bangor, ME for the show that night. It was my first time in Maine and it was beautiful! All the concerts during this tour were outdoors, so the show in Maine was probably the coldest I’ve ever been at a concert. With the wind chill it dropped down to about 40 degrees! I was only able to spend one night there but I’m looking forward to spending some more time in Maine in the future. The next show was at the Jones Beach Theatre only 25 minutes away from where I live. It’s been one of my favorite venues for 15 years and I was so happy to see my favorite band there. I had a couple friends visiting from out of state and staying at my house and we met more of our friends at the venue. We all had so much fun and got so close to the stage! The last show I went to for this tour was in Bristow, VA. There’s a segment during each concert where a group of about 15 people are chosen to go to a section of the venue to dance with Tyler, the lead singer. I was chosen for that night and was shown with him and the group on the big screens! He gave us all high fives as he walked past us to group us together and it was one of the coolest experiences ever. I’m so happy I got to experience a lot of shows on this short tour and meet friends at every stop!

The weekend after my final show I went to all 4 days of New York Comic Con with my friend. I cosplayed and went to panels all 4 days including the Mr Robot, Bob’s Burgers, VelociPastor, and X-Men panels. I also love going to comic con to get autographs and photos and some of the people I was able to meet were Simon Pegg, James McAvoy, Simu Liu, Deborah Ann Woll, and Charlie Cox. I had so much fun and I’m excited to go again next year!

Until next month, Jeannie

We are proud to support many wonderful organizations.

World Central Kitchen ~ Broadway Cares ~ Make-A-Wish

Plan USA ~ Timothy Hill Ranch ~ The Actor's Fund

Smile Train ~ Wounded Warrior ~ Braking AIDS

Episcopal Actors' Guild ~ North Shore Animal League

The Ali Forney Center

Join us in supporting these and other helpful organizations. Contact our PR/Marketing Dept. at (212)799-5433 Ex. 214 for info.

At Ripley-Grier, we’re more than studios - we’re a home for creativity! Our mission is to support artists at every stage of their journey, and now we’re taking it one step further. Discover new opportunities, unlock exclusive loyalty rewards, and connect with a community built to help you thrive.

RipleyGrierCommunity.com

@RipleyGrierStudios

VETERAN'S DAY

- November 11th -

THANK YOU to the brave men and women who have served our country - and a special THANKS to RG co-founder, Butch Grier, who in 1968 joined the Marines (at 19 years old) and fought in Vietnam.