RG Community Newsletter ~ September 2026

BACK TO THE CITY. BACK TO THE STUDIOS.

September has a special kind of energy in New York. The studios get busier, and suddenly it feels like everyone is ready for what's next. Maybe you're heading back to school at one of New York's universities or conservatories. Maybe you're arriving in NYC for the very first time. Or maybe you're coming home from a summer gig and jumping right back into auditions, rehearsals, classes, and everything that comes with a new season.

Wherever September finds you, consider it a fresh start.

Take a Zumba class to get you moving. Celebrate Yoga Appreciation Month with a class that gets you centered. Go see a Broadway show to get inspired. Try something new. Get back into the studios and take advantage of the opportunities that make being an artist in New York so exciting.

Welcome Back! See you at the studios.

Graham McCarty ~ RG Creative Director

HAPPY YOGA APPRECIATION MONTH!

RG 305: A HOME FOR THEATRE MAKERS

In NY theatre, a project often starts in a studio.

At Ripley-Grier's 305 W. 38th Street location, theatre makers can take a project from its earliest stages to performance.

Our creative spaces are perfect for project development, auditions, callbacks, table reads, and rehearsals. At the heart of the location is our 75-seat, Equity-approved Black Box Theatre, a unique and versatile performance space equipped with adjustable seating, professional lighting and sound.

What makes RG 305 special is the environment itself: an entire theatre-making ecosystem under one roof. On any given day, auditions are happening down the hall from rehearsals, new works are being developed, and audiences are gathering for performances. There's a special energy that comes from being surrounded by artists creating, collaborating, and bringing new ideas to life.

RG 305 is where it all happens!

2-for-1 Tickets for 22 Broadway Shows!!

Click Here for more details.

RELIEF IN ACTION: WCK PROVIDING MEALS IN NEPAL

World Central Kitchen's Relief Team is on the ground in Nepal's Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, where flash flooding has left 800 people dead and more than 3,000 missing.

WCK's restaurant partners are on the ground serving freshly made, nutritious meals to communities impacted by this disaster.

We know that good food provides not only nourishment, but also comfort and hope, especially in times of crisis. With over 600 million meals served globally, WCK continues to bring relief, one plate at a time. Your donation today fuels this mission - helping them reach more people, faster, when they need it most.

DONATE at any RG Location or click the link below.

Donate Here!

NO MORE STARVING ARTISTS

Episcopal Actors' Guild

For 100 years, the Episcopal Actors' Guild has been helping NYC's professional actors, singers, and dancers keep a roof over their head and put food on the table when times are tough. EAG's Emergency Aid & Relief Program can provide financial grants for rent, utilities, or medical bills. And their Actor's Pantry provides food assistance to performing artists experiencing hunger and food insecurity.

Are you in a position to aid in EAG's efforts?

Donate to the Actors' Pantry

Are you a performer in need of assistance?

Visit ActorsGuild.org for more information

Well, well, well it is August! It’s been a great summer so far, amazing beach weather. If you haven’t made it to the beach this summer, consider doing so. It is so refreshing jumping into the ocean and it’s a “ blessing”. It is the origin of evolution so there is a deep spiritual connection to the sea. Be prepared: beach coverings, sunscreen, hat, sun glasses, & water. Add an umbrella or canopy when it is not windy. Just like a hike or any adventure, bring essential gear. I am wave riding around low tide when safe and have been 5 times in August. I hope to make it 2 times a week this month as the water remains warm and into October with a wetsuit..

Emotionally July was a tough month. We lost our personal / company accountant and friend, Tom Novak, unexpectedly. Then last week I found out one of my precious Feng Shui masters, Rosalie Prinzivelli passed on. RG sent flowers and personal condolences to Tom’s service.

I wrote in a remembrance journal for Rosalie, donated to WCK in her name and had a tree planted in her honor. It’s a challenge to continue a normal routine when emotionally drained. I rely on my family, friends & staff to keep me busy. Butch just received a two clip procedure on his mitral valve (heart valve) and will wait 2 months and have a tricuspid valve procedure which will help his heart pump blood more efficiently. He has had a rough few years starting with the covid shutdown, not being able to work in the NY office this past year. I’m healthy, but having difficulty losing weight. I’m able to lose about 1 lb a week, now I lost 5 lbs & want to increase to 2 lbs a week, not wanting to go too fast to keep firm skin, goal 35 lbs.

The studios are shining! All 4 locations are being upgraded: decor, painting, floors, improved lighting, & signage. Check the new facilities including a 2nd self-taping studio in our Artist’s Oasis 10th floor at 520. We created a teachers info page on our RG website with new seminars & classes coming, including an energetic Zumba class on September 21 at 11:00 am at our 520 location. RG is grateful to have a great staff providing amazing client service. Ripley-Grier rocks!

As we approach the mid-term elections, please support your choices. We are in a very volatile period in our history, the future is in our hands. All the world’s countries in their ongoing evolution go through eras of rise & fall. We are a beacon of hope for the world. They are rooting for us. Let's move upward and not go backward or sideways. Speak up and take responsibility for your future and the future of the next generations. Be the positive energy in your time, be aware and have empathy for those who are suffering during their personal evolution. Finally, we have had a major natural disaster in Nepal that took us by surprise. We have lost possibly thousands of folks, locals and visitors in that collapse; many of them were on pilgrimages and retreats to that amazing spiritual country. We have upped our requests for donations to World Central Kitchen (WCK) , our “in house” primary group who supply meals for folks trying to make it through natural and man made disasters.

Stay fit in body and mind. Keep friends and family close. Blessings….. Patricia Ripley

CELEBRATING 55 YEARS TEACHING FITNESS!

Email patripleyny@gmail.com for more information.

Hi everyone!

I spent much of the last month preparing for my trip to London at the end of August. I went to London to attend the All Points East music festival, which was the perfect excuse to spend more time in one of my favorite cities. Twenty One Pilots was the headliner and played around a 2 hour long set - about 30 minutes longer than the other festivals they’ve been playing at this summer. Because of this they played a lot more songs, including one they’ve never performed live before, and they filmed the whole show to release later. I hung out with a small group the whole day and stayed by the side barricade to be close to the band as they walked by. The whole festival was great and I saw a few more artists including PVRIS, Ren, Hot Milk, and caught a few songs by half•alive. Emi Grace was one of the performers (and will be opening for Twenty One Pilots at their massive Ohio Stadium show this October!) and I got to see her concert in London a few days after All Points East. It was a small show at a bar, and it ended up being one of my favorite concerts! We got to meet her afterwards and I told her how much I loved the performance. I also gave her one of the Twenty One Pilots keychains that I had made for the festival and said I was excited to see her in Ohio!

Also during my time in London, I took a day trip to Cardiff, Wales. I had never been there before and it’s less than 2 hours away on the train, so I decided to go visit the Cardiff Castle, bought a record from Spillers Records - the oldest record store in the world, and got some gifts for friends and family. I’d love to go back and spend some more time.

A trip to London doesn’t feel complete without seeing a musical or play. I chose to see Kimberly Akimbo because I missed it on Broadway, and because Maria Friedman was playing Kimberly! I was so excited to see Maria considering how much I loved the revival of Merrily We Roll Along. She did a great job leading the cast and everyone filled their roles well!

See you all at the studios, Jeannie

We are proud to support many wonderful organizations.

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

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

Smile Train ~ Wounded Warrior ~ The Broadway League

Episcopal Actors' Guild ~ North Shore Animal League

Join us in supporting these and other helpful organizations.

At Ripley-Grier, we're more than rehearsal studios - we're a creative home base for NYC artists! Through classes, workshops, networking events, exclusive Premiere Membership perks, and our growing Teacher Database, we're building opportunities that help artists connect, collaborate, and move their careers forward.

Wherever you are in your journey, you belong at RG!

RipleyGrierCommunity.com

@RipleyGrierStudios

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Congrats to RG Staff: Angela Strauman, Jimmy Rivas, Jake Banasiewicz, Jimmy Schumacher and Carla Gant for completing the American Red Cross CPR Certification.