IN THE HOT SEAT:
RINNE B. GROFF

Company Member Profile

Rinne has been with ERS from the start, appearing in 10 productions since our very first show Mr. Antipyrene, Fire Extinguisher. Most recently, she played Isabella in our production of Measure for Measure. She is also an award-winning playwright, and you can find information about her newest play The Woman’s Party below.

Social Media Handles:  None. I’m hopelessly bereft of influencer status.

Where were you born? Long Island Jewish Hospital in Queens. But, like other famous ERS members, Florida-raised.

First job you ever had: My first job post-college was “studio lock-up girl” at a midtown rehearsal studio. Sometimes I’d let the acting classes run late if the teachers would give me cab-fare home.

Most surprising thing about you: The thing about me that surprises me most right now is that my family is raising three ducks named Snoopy, Woodstock, and Angel. They came as little yellow ducklings (in the mail!) and lived in the house for six weeks until they “feathered-out.” Now they are big and white and live in our backyard.

Any quarantine reading/viewing/listening, dining or wellness tips? Gratitude as a daily practice.

Any pets? See above: Snoopy, Woodstock, and Angel.

Left-handed or right? Right-handed. But I married a leftie.

What do you love about what you do? Everything that I don’t hate about what I do, I love.

Favorite ERS show (whether you were involved with it or not): For shows which I was a part of creating, I’m going to go old school and say Mr. Antipyrene, Fire Extinguisher at Nada. We were so young! It played at midnight! There were rats in the audience! In terms of audience-viewing pleasure,  I choose Fondly, Collette Richland by Sibyl Kempson. It was the rare ERS show that I knew almost nothing about before setting foot in the theater, and I witnessed the entire production with an intoxicating sense of bewilderment and delight. Among the images that will never leave my brain: Ben Williams in Act Two as a casual, sexual goat god. Or at least that’s how I remember him.

Best thing about working with ERS: John, Susie, James, Steve, Scott, Greig, Mark, Ariana, April, Mo, Mike, Mark, Pete, Lindsay… and on and on and on and on… I feel so lucky to know the people of ERS.