Meet Ruthy Froch | Actor & Teaching Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ruthy Froch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ruthy, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
Something to know about me is that curiosity is one of my core values. And because of that, I am always learning – one of my favorite things to ask myself is: “What worked? What didn’t? And, what’s next?” What comes to mind is something that I’ve learned recently: asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but it’s a sign of strength. Every human being has a different skill set, even those of us in the same career path, and asking for advice, or help on a project, or asking questions to further understand will only make both the giver and receiver stronger. And, this goes in tandem with my own personal discovery that most things are better with a buddy (as a highly independent human, don’t get me wrong that was a hard one to type). Find your people, they’ll push you, they’ll call you out, and they’ll be there for the ups and the downs.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

Currently, I am on the First National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof playing the role of Hodel (Tevye’s second eldest) 8 times a week, while exploring the United States. Life on the road is one of the most amazing professional opportunities and a true crash course in learning about yourself.

If we go back in time, from the age of 3, I was already keeping myself busy professionally and I think it’s important to highlight the long road to this moment, where I am not only performing 8 times a week but also still molding my craft along the way. I always was a passionate storyteller with the wildest imagination, and I was very articulate from a very young age (you can ask my mom, she’s the best). It wasn’t until my 2nd grade educational musical “Bugz” where the theatre bug bit me *literally* as I was playing Mama Stink bug. I moved on in 3rd grade to play the *iconic* role of the Brussel sprout in “The Mighty Trash Avengers Save The Planet Earth” and the rest was history. I’ve been acting ever since. I was highly involved in my high school theatre program (shoutout to Calabasas High School) where I participated in plays, musicals, and produced and directed student-run projects. It was here where I really began to train and develop my craft (thank you, Bill Garrett). Throughout high school, I got a taste of the competitive nature of the career path that I had already committed to, and here the seed was planted: you get out what you put in. Which, when I got into NYU/Tisch for musical theatre is something that carried me through. It’s funny, a lot of my friends who went to school, not for the arts, were always saying “well you get to do fun things and I have to write a paper,” well… you try creating a thematic 10-minute solo piece about your life and your deepest darkest moments and share it with a bunch of other 18/19-year-olds and see how you may feel after that. Talk about some vulnerability, right?! Anyway, theatre school is hard – school all day, rehearsal all night, homework, and then starting over again, making yourself vulnerable, learning new things, constantly reflecting, but I also wouldn’t trade my experience at NYU/Tisch for the world. I constantly refer back to my training as I continue to work in this industry, and it was also at NYU where my teaching seed was planted and began to sprout. I met some of the best people (hello my gamers) and gained some of the best mentors. The “real world” or my life post-grad was hearing a lot of no, working multiple jobs, and trying to audition as much as I could. I did some weird shows, I filmed a co-star in a movie, I wrote, produced, and acted in my own web series, I took a bunch of classes, taught a bunch of classes, and then I booked my dream job (a job I’m still doing now – Looking at you Fiddler on The Roof First National Tour)

TLDR, I had a very traditional path to getting to where I am – acting from when I was little, high school, BFA Program etc. It wasn’t easy, I am constantly evolving, overcoming challenges, feeling the imposter syndrome, but I truly believe that everything happens for a reason even if you can’t see it at the moment. So I constantly am asking myself, what lesson is the universe trying to teach me? I learned that asking questions, and more importantly asking for help is a necessity in moving yourself forward. I learned that journaling saves my life, and that learning new things paves the way for something more. I learned that there is only one me in the world, and that’s what sets me apart from the crowd.

It’s funny – I am most proud of all the ways I’ve given back (on stage and through teaching and through acts of service), and of all the connections I’ve made along the way. I am so grateful – shaping young minds has been the greatest gift, as well as performing a show I love over 500 times – getting to own the spotlight and see the country. Most importantly, I still dream, have dreams, and set bite-sized goals that help me move forward along the way. (I also have ventured into goal and accountability coaching because I want to help others live their dreams as I am working towards living mine.)

What I want the world to know about me – is that I cannot live without my journal, I want to tell stories that are important and that are meaningful, I am a fast-talking Scorpio, I want to teach and coach actors, I love goal setting and teaching that to artists, I want to give back in all ways that I can, and I want to keep learning and training forever.

So – I’ll ask you this (which is also one of my favorite scene analysis questions): What do you need right now, in order to move YOUR life forward?

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

AH – I have so many lists of places from all the cities I’ve been to on tour. Sometimes I dream about creating a street with all my favorite places I’ve visited across the nation.

The highlights of my week in Atlanta would be –
Seeing a show at the historical Fox or a tour of the gorgeous theatre.
The aquarium (one of the best I’ve ever been to)
and…. PONCE CITY MARKET (I wish I could live in there), and if you go have a donut from Five Daughters Bakery for me!

For my beloved NYC –
Obviously, see a Broadway show, walk through Central Park and South Street Seaport, ride the sea glass carousel at the Battery Park Conservatory, get a Le Vain Cookie, or Schmackary’s, or cereal milk at Milk bar. GET A BAGEL EVERY SINGLE DAY (my favorite is best bagel on 36th in between 7th and 8th), get an iced chai from Mud, go to Veselka, and spend some time with no headphones in and being present in the city that never sleeps.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many people. and things have changed the course of my career, my thoughts, or the way I think about things, but currently, I am most grateful for Jenna & Tim and Innovative Voice Studio (innovativevoicestudio.com). These two are creative geniuses who have helped me in SO many ways – particularly in understanding and owning my voice.

Website: www.ruthyfroch.com

Instagram: @itsruthyfroch https://www.instagram.com/itsruthyfroch/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthy-froch-b8ba2a164/

Twitter: @itsruthyfroch https://twitter.com/itsruthyfroch

Image Credits
Bond Theatrical can send you official photos from the first National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof taken by Joan Marcus Dana Patrick Photography, Jennifer Michele Clark