Westport Teen, Ryan Overly-Ryan, Takes the Stage at New Canaan’s Powerhouse Theatre

Actors Cooper Smithers (L) and Ryan Overly-Ryan (R). Contributed photo

High school students are typically busy even without the excitement and pressures of community theatre rehearsals and performances. But four intrepid teens from Fairfield County, including Westport’s Ryan Overly-Ryan, have taken on the challenge. They have been cast in the upcoming production of Ordinary People which opens this Friday, Feb. 17, at New Canaan’s Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny Park, and runs weekends through Sunday, March 5. The show, a powerful and moving drama, is a production of Town Players of New Canaan.

Based on the book and Oscar-winning 1980 film directed by Robert Redford and starring Mary Tyler Moore and Donald Sutherland, Ordinary People is the searing yet heartwarming story of an ordinary family struggling to heal from an unexpected tragedy. The script plumbs the depths of our most profound and intimate relationships. As such, it is challenging to cast, requiring versatile, serious young actors to play the parts of young adults whose lives have been disrupted by loss and grief. 

Deborah Burke, Ordinary People director, reflected on the casting process: "It was not an easy search but I am grateful to have found four remarkably talented and committed young adults with whom it is a pleasure to work.” Burke added that the participation of Dr. Michael Groat as an advisor to the cast helped immensely. Groat is the chief clinical officer of Silver Hill Hospital, a nationally recognized psychiatric hospital in New Canaan. He assisted the actors with understanding the myriad emotions of the play and portraying their characters with empathy and authenticity. 

Overly-Ryan said: "Being in Ordinary People has been such a unique experience. I've never played a character like Jeannine before. I'm grateful to be in a production with such complex characters, and I hope that people who watch it can appreciate it just as much as those of us who are in it."

In producing Ordinary People Town Players aims to reduce the stigma of talking about mental health and  to raise awareness of mental health resources in Fairfield County. It is partnering with multiple community organizations in this effort. 

Overly-Ryan attends Staples High School. The three other teen actors of Ordinary People are Norwalk’s Laszlo Balazs and Tyler Nuzzo-Dozzier and Darien’s Chandler Hall. Balasz attends Brien McMahon High School where he participated in theatre productions not only as an actor but as a music director and accompanist. Nuzzo-Dozzier is a singer and songwriter in addition to acting. Hall attends the Fitch Academy at Darien High School. Despite their age, all four actors are seasoned veterans of community and professional theatre productions. 

Ordinary People opens this Friday, Feb. 17 and runs through Sun., March 5, 2023, in New Canaan at the Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny Park. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM. 

A FREE performance for TEENS will be held Saturday, March 4 at 2 PM. It will include a post-show audience discussion with the director and cast, led by Dr. Andrew Gerber, president and medical director of Silver Hill Hospital. Adults are welcome to attend (with a regular ticket purchase) as long as they’re accompanying or invited by a teen. To reserve teen seats and purchase adult tickets visit here. 

For tickets and more information, visit https://tpnc.org/shows/ordinary-people/.