This Gonna Be on the Test, Miss?
“This Gonna Be on the Test, Miss?” is a solo show ripped from Ronna's 20 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 this 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, hungry to learn despite their complex and chaotic lives. 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.
Did you know?
- Nearly 50% of all U.S. undergraduates attend a community college
- 60 % of students who enter community college are academically underprepared.
Higher education finally has a prominent place in our national agenda. Dr. Jill Biden has put a face on the community college. President Obama has called for 8 billion dollars for community colleges.
Now is the time to tell this story.
My Inspiration: Los Angeles Community College
I'm not Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Minds.
Welcome to Community College. From LA to Brooklyn, meet my real students as I teach them in 12 weeks what they should have learned in the past 12 years.
You won't be quizzed.
PRESS
Washington City Paper
"See it if: You have ever been a teacher, a student, or someone otherwise connected to American public education (that’s almost all of you!).
Skip it if: You prefer the Hollywood fantasy of saintly, super heroic teachers." - Posted by Joshua Buursma
DC Metro Theatre Arts
Best of the Fringe | 2014
"...performed powerfully and hilariously... vibrant and hauntingly beautiful... If you are a teacher-you’ll love it!"- by Marlene Hall | Read more...
2016 FringeNYC Review: ‘This Gonna Be on the Test, Miss?’
"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 | Read more...
BroadwayWorld.com
"Levy is a comfortable and engaging performer. Her ability to swiftly and adeptly give life to the people of her past and differentiate between them is noteworthy and makes for an interesting and highly diverse solo performance." - by Jennifer Perry | Read more...
Lilith
Interview: 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 | Read more...
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 | Read more...
Charm City Fringe
CharmCityFringe @CharmCityFringe
14 Nov 2015
"Is This Gonna be on the test Miss?" Hilarious and honest portrayal of the hardest job, 5pm @Gallery788 @ronnalevy
Review Fix
Review Fix Exclusive: Ronna Levy Talks ‘This Gonna Be on the Test, Miss? - Posted by Patrick Hickey Jr.
• This Gunna Be On The Test, Miss? Review: A Fun, Emotional Ride
• Review Fix chats with playwright Ronna Levy about the inspiration behind her one-woman show, ‘This Gonna Be on the Test, Miss?
• Listen in: Review Fix Exclusive: Ronna Levy Talks ‘This Gonna Be on the Test, Miss?’
DC Theatre Scene
"Levy’s life as a teacher and aspiring actress has been a wild ride peppered with almost unbelievable encounters and humorously ironic situations, and this show is no different. And don’t worry — there’s no pop quiz at the end." - by Maddie Ardillo | Read more...
The Flying Solo Festival
"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+!