Howard Ryshpan


Howard Ryshpan is a Canadian anglophone screen and voice character actor, in radio, film, television and theater. He also taught theater. He has directed numerous plays, notably at festivals. As an artist, Howard Ryshpan is one of the pioneers of Black & White English television in Montreal which started in September 1952.
His father Reuben was born in Poland from Hungarian origin parents, having arrived in Connecticut at the age of 9. His mother Cecilia who was born in Ottawa was a musician and music teacher successively in Ottawa, Toronto and New York. Howard's parents moved from New York City to Montreal in 1934.
Howard Ryshpan studied at Strathcona Christian Academy in Outremont, until grade 9 ; one year at Montreal Technical School, which was run by the Jesuits on Sherbrooke Street; and three years at Bishop's College. In June 1951, Howard received his study certificate from Bishop's College School at Lennoxville, Québec. After Bishop College, Howard was a student from Sept. 1951 to April 1952 in a baccalaureate of arts at Sir Georges William University in Montreal.
His mother wanted him to become a musician. His father Reuben wanted him to get over the family business in textile in Montreal; the factory that produced ladies and children wears, as well as military clothing during the Second World War, was located on Dowd Street. This stock company in Montreal had been owned since 1935 by his father Reuben and his uncle Meyer; the latter was also a painter, engraver and watercolorist. Howard started working there at the age of 9 during school holidays; he tied the bundles of linen for shipment. But Howard preferred to start a career in performing arts. Theater was a dream for him. In summer 1948, Howard was an animator in a Laurentian summer camp. Then he worked briefly at his father's textile factory.
After graduating from Bishop, Ryshpan accepted an offer to enlist in the Canadian Army. He took initial courses in the handling of arms with the Montreal Blackjack regiment. However, he did not have to participate in the Korean War.
He married Virginia Rae Burns on November 23, 1956, in Montreal. The couple sailed on the next morning on the RMS Ivernia for a crossing of the Atlantic, from Montreal to the city of Le Havre, France. Following an extended stay in Paris, Ryshpan studied in private school, under one of Europe's most famous dramatic teachers, Étienne Decroux who formulated the art of mime. Then the couple Ryshpan-Rae extended the summer 1957 travelling on the Continent and in the British Isles.
Howard Ryshpan has been living in semi-retirement since 2009 on a farm in the municipality of Bristol in the Pontiac Regional County Municipality, in Quebec, in Canada.

Biography

Professional career in theater

;Student theater performances
Howard Ryshpan was an actor in Shakespeare's play The Tempes presented in February 1949 by the Player's Club production team at Bishop's College School, where he was a student.
Howard played the role of Russian ballet teacher in the comic play You can't take it with you at the B.C.S. Players' Club on February 6 and 7, 1950. The screenplay focuses on a Sycamore family from New York who believes in the philosophy of living now rather than trying to make a lot of money, because you can't win with you.
For the 1950–51 school year at BCS, Howard personalized in a room the role of a bishop, with excellent synchronization, good gestures and demonstrating good control.
;Theatrical performances in artistic career
On December 1, 1950, Howard Ryshpan was a participant in the Philip King's farce, See How They Run humor contest at Bishop's College School. This contest was organized by the Player's Club under the direction of Lewis Evans and directed by the school principal Ronald Owen.
Howard Ryshpan played as an actor in the professional troop Canadian Players at the Gesù theater in Montreal, in particular:
  • until July 18, 1953, in the play French Without Tears written by Terence Rattigan. This is the story of a bunch of boys who are preparing for diplomacy while learning French, and who are troubled by the appearance of a young woman. In a classic crossover on stage, the actors Victor Knight, Ion Dobbie and Howard Ryshpan fight to conquer the heart of the young woman personified by Jeanine Beaubien;
  • in the fall of 1953, in the play Light up the Sky, a comedy by Moss Hart.
Howard was one of the performers in the play A Sleep Of Prisoners by Christopher Fry presented on March 3, 1954, in the Van Horne auditorium by the Everyman Players at the Festival Dramatique de l'Ouest du Québec. The competition judge noted that the production of the Everyman Players was of very high quality and that the four performers had adequately established the atmosphere for Fry's drama, which takes place in a church transformed into a prison camp.
In January 1956, Howard Ryshpan played at the Y.M.H.A. in the play Ring round the moon by taking on the double role of Hugo, dry heart and spoiled child and his sensitive twin brother Frédéric, flexibly passing to both characters.
Howard Ryshpan played in a troop of 20 English-speaking comedians from March 14 to 24, 1956, in the play The Trial presented at Gesù by Théâtre du Nouveau Monde.
Howard Ryshpan played in various plays at the Montreal International Theater in the La Poudrière building, in Old Port of Montreal, including:
  • the main role of David, in the play Write me a murder, written by Frederick Knott, which was played, from July 22, 1963;
  • a role of stage manager in the summer of 1963 for the play Romanoff and Juliet, written in 1956 by Peter Ustinov;
  • a role in the play The Rattle of a Simple Man in three short acts, written by Charles Dyer, presented in April 1965; and resumed from February 9, 1966. The action of the play takes place at the Rodingham Manor, located about two hours from London.
From 10 to April 19, 1965, Howard directed the bilingual play "Le Grand Grand Château" for children at the Petit Théâtre in Place Ville Marie. It is a tale of Mother Goose.
In the summer of 1965, Howard Ryshpan played with Joan Stuart in the play "The Tiger", written by Murray Schisgal, produced by Montreal Instant Theater for Piggery Playhouse Guild inc at "The Piggery-Summer Theater" in Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, inaugurated on August 2, 1965. This play will be performed on Oct. 21, 1965 at the Canadian Institute, at the Canadian Women's Circle. Journalist Claude Daigneault commented on the play: "Howard Ryshpan, in the role of "Tiger" proved to be versatile. A breathtaking diction, an inexorable mimicry, he knows many tricks to enhance the humor of a text."
Ryshpan was responsible for the distribution of the play "Fam and Yam", a short play by Edward Albee presented on January 17, 1966, at L'Instant Theater, directed by Mary To die. It is the meeting of a famous playwright, Fam, and a young playwright, Yam. The latter rather makes a biased interview by delivering his opinions and taunting the owners of theaters.
In May 1966, he conducted two plays for the new Théâtre Baril in Montreal.
The play “Bird in the Box” by Maxime Fleischman started the Regional Dramatic Festival in 1967. This play in three acts en-scène by Howard Ryshpan takes place in a hotel suite decor in Manhattan; it features people associated directly or indirectly with Broadway Theatre.
In Nov. 1967, he was the director of the play "The day it rained forever" by Ray Bradbury and played the role of Mr. Fremley. This piece was presented at the Théâtre de la Place.
Howard was one of 10 performers in a three-piece series presented at the University of Waterloo on Oct. 5, 1968 by the Montreal Instant Theater as part of the Festival The Arts in the Pepsi-Generation, organized by the students of this institution. These three pieces are "Land Before Time" by Charles Cohen, This is "The Rill Speaking" by Lanford Wilson and "Revue Time" by Harold Pinter and N. Simpson.
In 1969, Howard Ryshpan directed the production of The Playmakers by Corner Brook at the Saint John Drama Festival in Newfoundland. He was chosen as the best director of the festival and won an award for directing the best play "Live Like Pigs" written by John Arden. This troupe represented the Maritime provinces at the National Dramatic Festival, from May 19 to May 24, 1969, in Kelowna, in British Columbia.
On May 4, 1969, Howard interprets extracts from works by Franz Kafka, in a special program at the Saidye Bronfman Center in Montreal.
In addition, Ryshpan was one of the performing artists for the opening of Place des Arts in Montreal in September 1964, the Piggery Theater in Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley in August 1965 and the National Arts Center in Ottawa in May 1969.

Teaching theater at Loyola and Dawson College

Howard Ryshpan taught theater in Montreal for a year at Loyola College until his 1974 merger with Concordia University. Then he was teacher in the theater department at Dawson College in Montreal from 1982 To 2002. This department presented annually to the public theatrical plays in English, at the Dome Theater, at 3990 Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal. The theatrical productions in the studio are carried out by 2nd year students; major productions are carried out by students in the 3rd year of the program. These plays in English which were directed by Howard Ryshpan and played at Dome Theatre, are in particular: