PS 8 PTA Volunteer Spotlight:
Stephen Ringold
Story by Sara Doar
Photography by Natalie Schueller
Stephen Ringold, aka Dr. Meatloaf, is one of the more visible PTA volunteers. "Why do you want to write about me?" asked Mr. Ringold, "I really don't do that much. I just show up and I'm loud."
He's also good at loosening people up and making them laugh. For those of you who don't know, Mr. Ringold is the talented clown in the red zoot suit who entertains at the Barnes and Noble Book Fair and emcees the annual auction. "Coming to goof off for an hour is really easy for me. It comes naturally to me."
Dr. Meatloaf has also been known to show up in the halls of P.S. 8 singing songs to encourage effective handwashing and to promote the read-a-thon.
Even if the PTA advertised nationally and offered lots of money, it's unlikely that they could come by a more qualified performer. Mr. Ringold spent 20 years with the Big Apple Circus, a few of them as the ring master. He is also "close to a founding member" of the Big Apple CCU (Clown Care Unit). This group recruits and trains professional clowns to entertain at the bedsides of thousands of sick children a year in pediatric wings across the United States. This is how he came by the name, "Dr. Meatloaf."
More recently, Mr. Ringold has formed a small group called The Grand Fallons. So far, the group has been working for museums and other cultural institutions. "They hire us to create shows that make an exhibit or material that might be a bit esoteric more accessible and engaging for certain under-served or young audiences. Sometimes we write, produce and perform the shows. Other times, we train kids in workshops to put the show on themselves." He estimates that the group has worked with more than 150 schools and museums.
The group is currently in the throes of preparing for what Mr. Ringold calls "our first legitimate show in New York." From October 16 to October 26 at the Theater for the New City, the group will perform an original show called the "Village of Fools." The work, written and directed by Mr. Ringold, is based on three Isaac Bashevis Singer fairy tales and features life size puppets. The puppets, scenic elements and sets reflect the art work of Chaim Soutine. According to press promotions, "the show takes the work of two great masters and turns it into a mixture of spiritual, emotional and intellectual fun for the whole family." (Tickets available at Theater for the New City website.)
Mr. Ringold admits that all this activity makes for a busy life-style, but he makes time for the PTA roles because he wants some ownership in the community that is educating his son Max. "It is important to me to be involved in and have some say in the culture of the place where I send my son to. It lends some weight to the experience he is going through and lends some credence to my understanding of his life at school."
Throughout the conversation about his volunteer work, Mr. Ringold repeatedly suggests that there are other parents, including his wife Debra, who contribute many hours each week to PTA efforts and hopes that their quiet, but important work will somehow be recognized and appreciated. "I have a skill that lets me make a difference by just showing up, but there are many PTA members who put in a lot more time and effort than I do."
Posted on: October 2, 2008
