Our Mission.
The mission of Lights Up! Productions is to familiarize and advance issues concerning diversity through original theatre, film and mixed media; to bridge gaps between the technical and artistic crews by encouraging a sense of community; and to stimulate audiences intellectually and passionately through entertainment.
Our Team.
Bobby Ryan
Bobby Ryan has earned a BA degree in Inter Arts with a focus in Dance Therapy and an MFA in Contemporary Performance at Naropa University. His training includes Physical Acting, Suzuki, Viewpoints, Roy Hart Voice, Contemplative Dance, Viewpoints, Butoh, Somatic Movement Therapy, Psychophysical Acting, Playwriting and Screenwriting. He has worked with Master Teachers and Professionals such as Leigh Fondakowski, Moises Kaufman, SITI Company, Ethelyn Friend, Carol Mendelsohn, Saule Ryan, Barbara Dilley, Erika Berland, Wendell Beavers, Daniel Banks and Katsura Kan. Bobby is a Writer, Director, Actor, Teacher and the co-founder (along with his husband Tyler) and Artistic Director of Lights Up! Productions which produces original work for the stage and screen. He spends his life committed to each of our unique voices and forms of expression and how they come alive in the light, dark and everything in between.
Tyler Ryan
Tyler is a teacher, producer and actor. Having recently completed his MFA in Contemporary Performance from Naropa University, he now considers Portland home. He has been seen in the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, in the regional premier of Masked at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art as well as in two seasons of the Boulder International Fringe Festival. As co-founder of Lights Up! Productions, he has produced three original plays all of which have been supported by arts-funding grants. He was last seen in Action/Adventure's Fall of the House on Portland's Arena Stage.
Our History.
A Time Line.
March, 2010 Feather has its first full-length run at the Theater! Theatre! in Portland, Oregon.
July, 2008 Lights Up! Productions moves to Portland, Oregon and the Attic Art Studio is created. Acting classes and showings are offered.
May, 2008 Bobby and Tyler graduate with the degrees of Masters of Fine Arts from Naropa University.
March, 2008 Feather has second thesis showing culminating from final workshop intensive with Leigh Fondakowski.
November, 2007 Feather receives first thesis showing after month-long workshop with Leigh Fondakowski.
September, 2006 Bobby and Tyler enter the graduate degree program in Contemporary Performance at Naropa University.
August, 2005 A workshop showing of Feather is performed as part of the Boulder International Fringe Festival.
May, 2005 Lights Up! Productions is awarded the Major Grant from the Boulder Arts Commission.
August, 2004 Beautiful Day performs a workshop showing as part of the Boulder International Fringe Festival. It receives the "Pick of Fringe Runner-up" award.
May, 2004 Lights Up! Productions awarded Mini Grant from the Boulder Arts Commission.
April, 2003 Cell Block is performed at Naropa University with a cast and crew of more than sixty artists and is funded in part by a grant the student union's SunSpot Award.
At age seven, Bobby started creating plays and teaching ‘classes’ to neighborhood friends in his back yard in Independence, Missouri. He would build stages from pieces of junk wood. When his younger brother, Ryan, was old enough he joined in. They were making movies such as A Gross Movie (Part One, Two and Three!) by the time Ryan was nine. The brothers decided to call their ‘company’ R n R Productions (Ryan n Robert Productions). During undergraduate school Bobby moved to Boulder, Colorado and joined forces with Justin Smith and re-named the childhood dream R & R Unity Productions. The company created its first full length original theatrical event titled, Cell Block. With over 60 cast and crew members lead by the production skills of Justin and directed by Bobby, the play was a huge success. The company has now grown into Lights Up! Productions co-founded by Bobby and his husband, Tyler Ryan. With three original plays under their belt, two awarded grants from the Boulder Arts Commission, “Pick of the Fringe, runner up” received and a new home base of Portland, Oregon, the dream is fresh, alive, and expanding every day!