The Match Girl's Gift was my last show in Rosebud as a student, and for a brief moment, was nearly my last show ever. This show pushed me way out of my comfort zone as I had to play a cold, mean, and borderline abusive father. It took a while for me to really get into it, and start leaning into that darker side of my performances. I felt I had it by the time we were in tech week, and was feeling very strong with my work. It was after preview, with only two rehearsal hours left before opening, that I received a brutally harsh critique of my work from our director, calling into question my most fundamental ability as an actor. Determined to prove our director wrong by opening night, I spent the next twenty four hours in a flurry of conversations, trying to get other people's opinions on my work, and assuming I was falling short, their opinions on where and how I could improve. From what I've been told, in the end my performances were quite impressive, and I received very positive feedback from some of my most trusted advisors in Rosebud.

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I'll also share, it was through this process that I received some of my highest compliments. To have an audience member tell me they really hated my character, or really feared them, meant that I was doing something very right. One story stands out to me, where an instructor in Rosebud brought his young daughter to see the show. He told me she became visibly nervous when I walked on stage (after having revealed the unkind side of my character), and at curtain call, she leaned over to her father and said "Oh good, Ryan's nice again." To have that kind of impact on someone so honest made me certain that I could be proud of my work. I'd been convincing.

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The Match Girl's Gift is based on The Matchstick Girl, by Hans Christian Andersen. It tells the story of Lizzie, a poor, young, orphan girl, who's grandmother visits her in a vision one night when she's on death's door. Gran gives Lizzie three matches, and through their magic, three visions. She gets to live out her dream life in "the big house," and ultimately teaches the family within the true meaning of Christmas.