With a lifetime of experience in theater, a voice that can speak to hundreds with no amplification, and bodily awareness informed by years of physical arts ranging from yoga to horseback riding, Rich Risbridger is a consummate live performer.
After performing in collaborative and traditional theater at Brown University, Rich took a multi-year hiatus to explore the visual arts and design, but when faced with the soul-searching aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (Rich was a New Orleans resident at the time), he realized that he had to return to performance arts. Setting his mind to this goal, he moved to the Bay Area and launched into disciplined training in circus arts and a dedicated and playful exploration of folklore. Less than a year later, he was working as a ringmaster, fire performer, and actor with the Lucid Dream Lounge and as a silks aerialist, MC, and fire-breather with the Dreamtime Circus. With his knowledge of Russian and German folklore Rich created his own successful storytelling and music act for adults, Onkel Woland and the Black Forest Menagerie, and also captivates children with his original fairytales.
In addition to his performance work, Rich pursues his love of the visual arts with metalworking, provides graphic design services for the arts and yoga communities, runs a regular skill-share for aerialists, and teaches yoga.