As a pedagogue and artist, I found myself nodding non-stop while reading this play - not just because I agreed with the points being made, but because I felt like I knew all of the thoughtfully-drawn, complex educators at the center of this story. The real magic trick is that a character I despised at the beginning became a character I was rooting for by the end...which is sort of the thesis of the play - empathy, empathy, empathy! I think this should be required reading for new teachers!

I had the pleasure of reading YEAH, ART FIGURES for a contest. Very rarely does a short piece have so much to say in such a fun and elegant manner. I absolutely love the richly drawn characters and the dialogue is spot-on perfectly natural. So well done. I hope this is staged near me so I can see it - or better yet, give me the opportunity to play FRANK. This is a wonderfully written play certain to entertain (and educate) audiences while providing actors with meaty material.

This play is certainly timely given our current state of education. Rather than depressing the audience, Ruyle provides us a story that gives us the optimism needed in raising the next generation by asking what it means to be a true educator in today's society.