This Gonna Be on the Test, Miss?
PERFORMER
Thirty years ago, Ronna detoured from acting into academia, teaching remedial English
in Los Angeles and New York City community colleges. And soon enough that detour
became her life’s work, teaching in the community college. And over her many years in
the classroom, Ronna had been observing her students and the education system in
preparation for her solo show, “This Gonna Be on the Test, Miss?"
Before the classroom, Ronna studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse; also with Julie
Bovasso; and at Brooklyn College with F. Murray Abraham. She has performed Off-
Broadway and was a member of the Group Repertory Theater in Los Angeles.
Ronna’s vision of merging performing, storytelling, writing, and teaching was realized in
her solo show, “This Gonna Be on the Test, Miss?” based on her years teaching first
year composition to academically underprepared students. “This Gonna Be on the Test,
Miss?” has been performed in fringe festivals throughout the northeast.
“This Gonna Be on the Test, Miss?” is a solo show ripped from Ronna's many years teaching Remedial English in community college classrooms both in Los Angeles and New York City. “This Gonna Be on the Test, Miss?” is also a self-portrait of transformation. As an aspiring actress who takes a part time teaching position until she can pick up more waitressing shifts or land an acting gig, Ronna is profoundly changed by her LA students, who were hungry to learn despite their complex and chaotic lives. Teaching her students, Ronna finds her purpose, her voice, and realizes who she really is in a role she was meant to play. Moving back home to NYC, she resumes a relationship she abandoned for the stage and screen; continues her performances, now academic; and fights to raise awareness and give voice to a population that is virtually voiceless.
My Inspiration: Los Angeles Community College
PRESS
DC Theatre Arts
Best of the Capital Fringe | 2014
"...performed powerfully and hilariously... vibrant and hauntingly beautiful... If you are a teacher-you’ll love it!"- by Marlene Hall
FringeNYC | 2016
"an engaging and illuminating self-portrait about finding one’s true calling in the most unexpected of places. By all counts, that’s win/win/win—not just for her, but for her students and audiences as well." - by Deb Miller
Lilith Magazine
Community Colleges Are Often Ridiculed. This One-Woman Show Prods Us to Value Their Students More.
"I feel so privileged to get to be with these students. I want audience members who might never interact with newcomers or low-income people to come away with an appreciation for them. This is a student population that is typically invisible and my goal is to change that, to give them a voice and a presence."
- by Eleanor J. Bader
Inside Higher Ed
“Levy said in an interview that her show sought to bring attention to ‘a population that is virtually voiceless, and a venue that is invisible.’ Kevin Menard, who teaches high school in northern Virginia, said the show accurately reflected the tribulations of teaching underprivileged students.” - by Charlie Tyson
Flying Solo! Presents
"She (Levy) stands and delivers her often funny, sometimes anguished, ultimately uplifting memories. These re-enactments, reinforced by rear wall projections, take us back to her teaching days in high school and junior college. What separated this from other school-themed comedy/dramas is Levy's unwavering sincerity and wit. At times, audience members instinctively raise their hands in what has become a classroom without walls. Definitely a solid A+!"