“There are plenty of moments in life when you’re going to feel all kinds of things that are uncomfortable,” says Ricky Katowicz. “I’ve found that the most important skill is just to be able to sit with those feelings of not feeling good enough, of feeling angry, dejected, disrespected – because the compassion we give to ourselves in those moments is the compassion we give to anyone else facing those emotions.”
With bright pink hair and large pink Doc Martens, Ricky Katowicz is one part early Gwen Stefani mixed with Fred Rogers. He hosts a show, The Rainbow Beard Show, which explores deep and simple themes with kids aged 4-8 (and their grownups) in mind. A lifelong Rhode Islander, Ricky grew up in Providence and went to Rhode Island School of Design, majoring in apparel design. A stint making costumes with Big Nazo followed, and then a 12-year career at Hasbro eventually morphed into the creation of The Ricky Rainbow Beard Show in 2016.
The show is a masterclass on what it’s like to be a human being in this world. Equal parts zany, smart, and loving, kids and adults who go to the show are left feeling inspired to be kind to themselves and to their community.
The theme for a typical show might involve something kids would enjoy, like Pizza or Monsters, but underneath this sweet and fun exterior, the show aims to expose children to the realities of living with empathy for yourself and others. It’s not uncommon for the young audience to have things to say to their host during the show, and Ricky is there to hear and to spark meaningful conversation, whatever it is.
“When kids do something to interrupt, my heart skips a beat,” says Ricky, “and my brain tingles as a reminder that the format is working.”
During the pandemic, live shows came to a jarring halt, but Ricky hosted Facebook Live events where he would read books and perform puppet shows every night at 6pm. Kids would tune in and parents were appreciative, telling Ricky afterwards how much of a blessing it was to get 20 minutes to prep dinner.
A typical Rainbow Beard Show begins like this: kids and parents enter the space and naturally make their way to Ricky’s desk, which is made of cardboard and covered in crayon. Imagine if Jeopardy contestants interacted with Alex Trebek before the show. Ricky likes playing a game with kids called “You Draw Me, I’ll Draw You.” Attracted to his iconic hair, the portraits he receives back are usually heartfelt blobs of pink wearing thick, black-rimmed glasses. This drawing time is critical as it allows Ricky to get to know his audience and for his audience to get to know him.
Ricky believes it is important for this generation to explore creativity and to ask more and better questions about the world that they are inheriting. The Rainbow Beard Show believes it is important that a more caring ethos is imparted to a younger generation – care for the environment, care for each other, care for oneself. Segments on the show might include instruction on how to sing, how to compost your food scraps, or simply how to make a puppet out of a sock.
“I’ve found that it’s inspiring to be someone who cares,” says Ricky. “The more we get close to each other and to the values in life that help us to connect, the better.” A trained artist, Katowicz has many preferred mediums: illustration, music, fashion apparel – but the art that he has really stumbled upon is interpreting the vibrations of those around him and amplifying the big emotions: what does it mean to love and to be loved in this world?
After drawing, he leads the audience in reciting an oath. Equal parts absurd and sincere, the oath serves to communicate that Ricky and the audience are going to be together for the day and that they’re going to respect each other, regardless of what happens.
After the oath, Ricky hosts a game show for the audience. Prizes aren’t new cars or fancy trips to the Caribbean, but instead are “special pieces of cardboard.” Kids always revere the piece of cardboard they’ve won. It’s one part mockery of traditional game shows, one part imaginative: would we still watch The Price is Right if Bob Barker gave out little prizes? The hypothesis on the Rainbow Beard Show is yes – if the contestants were little kids – of course we still would.
“Essentially, the best way of being a parent or a teacher or to influence anybody’s life is to just live the most authentic life you want to live,” says Ricky. “And then people will learn from that more than they’ll learn from anything you tell them.” In this sense, Ricky is a punk rock Maria Montessori, skilled by years of observing kids (he’s a parent himself), but infused with all the energy and creativity of your local Olneyville noise show.
One of the best segments at the end of the show is called, “Dance for a Minute” where music is played and everyone is encouraged to dance for a single minute. “It’s scientifically proven that if you dance for a minute,” says Ricky, “that’s one more minute you’re dancing.” The point is that we shouldn’t spend our entire lives dancing (although Ricky certainly wouldn’t tell you not to), the point is that we should try to carve out moments every now and then for the sillier things that give us joy.
Tyson Birch is a hauler with Harvest Cycle Compost, resident of Elmwood, and plays Mr. Compostman on the Ricky Rainbow Beard Show.
