In addition to her artistic projects, Stronach also followed in her father's footsteps, becoming a
professor in
New York City.
Acting As a child, Stronach studied
musical theatre in Berkeley. While portraying
Piglet in a
San Francisco stage adaptation of
Winnie-the-Pooh, she was approached by the
casting director for
The NeverEnding Story and asked to
audition for the role of the
Childlike Empress. After three auditions, Stronach beat
Heather O'Rourke to star in the 1984 film. What
Vice described as "the Empress' quasi-
British accent [...] of indeterminate origin", was actually Stronach's natural accent, a result of having lived in Iran, Israel, the UK, and the US. Ruth Stronach lived with her daughter in
Bavaria for the three-month film shoot, and afterwards declined a sequel contract for her daughter, worried about lacking the wherewithal to "help her daughter navigate the turbulent waters of childhood stardom in the film industry". After
The NeverEnding Story became a sensational success, the Stronachs were besieged with unwanted attention: their home and telephone were stalked, adults proposed to the eleven-year-old with
engagement rings, and she received "offers from Hollywood to play roles
featuring scenes (with nudity) completely inappropriate for someone her age". Stronach returned to acting in 2002 with a
physical theatre company, and by 2006 had performed in
Chambre at
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club and was continuing to study acting with
Laura Esterman.
Singing During the junket for
The NeverEnding Story, Stronach appeared on a German
talk show and was asked how much German language she had learned; after explaining she only knew the lyrics to "
99 Luftballons", she agreed to sing live on TV. The next day, a
music producer offered a
record deal. With only three days left in the country, the Stronachs agreed to the contract, songs were written, Stronach recorded them and starred in a
music video, and she eagerly performed one of the songs—"Fairy Queen"—on two German TV shows, all before returning to the US. She later said of the whirlwind experience: "It was insane, [...] And then literally that was it. We didn't change the ticket."
Dancing Switching her focus from acting to professional dancing after
The NeverEnding Story, Stronach devoted herself to that study for ten years (through her
twenties) in
New York City. In 1996, Stronach began dancing with
Neta Pulvermacher and Dancers, though she has also exhibited her own productions at
Dixon Place,
Washington Square Park, and the
Galapagos Art Space.
Production By the 2010s, Stronach had co-founded a
theatre company called
Shoehorn Theater; in 2012, they began creating a new play,
Light: A Dark Comedy ("a group generative effort where everyone is involved in every step of the creation"). Steinbruner and Stronach created
The Paper Canoe Company, an entertainment business that focused on "children's theatre, film, and education". After the TV series
Stranger Things used "
The NeverEnding Story" and renewed interest in Stronach and the 1984 film, the couple began making their own 1980s-styled fantasy film.
Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps stars
Shohreh Aghdashloo,
Sean Astin,
Michael Emerson,
Christopher Lloyd,
Rhea Perlman, Stronach herself (as the Witch), and her daughter, Maya. In February 2023, the film was in
post-production. It was released on July 28, 2024.
Credits ==References==