Stivers theater student appears on ‘Abbott Elementary’
Jordynn Farley, a rising eighth-grade theater student at Stivers School for the Arts, is grateful to have recently appeared on the third season of ABC’s Emmy Award-winning hit comedy “Abbott Elementary,” a humorous look at life at a Philadelphia public school.
The 12-year-old spent her spring break on the famed Warner Bros. backlot in Burbank, Calif., filming “Smith Playground,” a charming and energetic episode that aired May 15 and continues to stream on Hulu. The plot centered on a hilariously tense field trip to Smith Memorial Playground with Abbott students and staff at odds with rival students and staff of Liberty Elementary. Farley, standing out among the crowd with purple streaks in her hair, portrayed one of the defiant Liberty students supervised by Principal Crystal (Tatyana Ali).
“It was pretty cool and so exciting to be on set,” said Farley, who is represented by PCG Talent Agency. “It was my first time meeting celebrities too. It was also very hot but I will say it was worth the heat.”
Throughout her three days of filming, Farley said one key element made her better understand what it takes to perform in a professional setting.
“I learned to be prepared,” she said. “We filmed scenes over and over again. I’ve also been invited to film this summer as probably one of the Liberty kids.”
In addition to acting, Farley is a published author. At age 9 she wrote “Unstoppable Me: Living With Epilepsy,” which is available through Amazon. She was diagnosed with benign Rolandic epilepsy at age 7. Her mother, Carrie Farley, considers her daughter’s journey to be an inspiration not only to her but others.
“With Jordynn having epilepsy, I didn’t think she would get this far and watching her helps me increase my faith,” Carrie said. “As a Christian, I always prided myself that I have faith and believe, but when things come up in your life your faith can be tested. Jordynn has encouraged me and still inspires me. She still wants to act even though she has epilepsy. Things may be going on inside her brain, perhaps confusion or different bursts of energy, but when the camera comes on it’s like nothing ever happened. It’s a gift. I am in awe of her. I don’t think she realizes the magnitude of what she’s doing.”
In addition to appearing in a Trotwood production of “The Wiz” spearheaded by Thomas Troutman and Phillitia Charlton’s play “The Death of a Lie” at the Dayton Art Institute, Farley’s credits include such films as “Shirley,” “Turtles All the Way Down” and Ben Stiller’s upcoming project “Nutcrackers,” which was filmed in Wilmington.
As she looks forward to evolving in her studies, Farley appreciates the support she has received from Stivers and the personal validation stemming from her “Abbott Elementary” experience.
“I like acting because I have a lot of energy and I can transform that energy into different (characters),” she said. “And I can use those (characters) to express my energy when I can’t. Stivers is helping me a lot as well as I learn, grow and perform.” Right Now with Russell spotlights arts and entertainment news every Friday and as news arises. From the latest in local arts to the latest in film, music, TV, theater, awards season and other hot button topics, the goal is to fill you in on what’s new in order to satisfy your entertainment cravings. He can be reached at Russell. Florence@coxohio.com.
A large police presence in Xenia Thursday morning is reportedly connected to a multistate investigation involving a motorcycle club.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Xenia police were seen outside a house in the 1000 block of Colorado Drive.
ATF Special Agent John Nokes said the response was part of a multistate investigation involving several law enforcement agencies. Search warrants were served in multiple states Thursday, but he was unable to confirm how many states were involved.
Nokes said the investigation was related to the Thug Riders Motorcycle Club. He declined to share any additional information.