For the first time since the pandemic, Guthrie Theater is doing a show in the 9th floor Dowling Studio. This is very exciting news, and feels like a continuation of the slow return to normal. Even more exciting is that the piece they have chosen to bring back this intimate black box space is nothing short of exquisite, and could not exist anywhere else in the building. The world premiere new play with music
The Ruins, by Broadway actor George Abud who was in the original cast of
The Band's Visit, a uniquely special musical that I loved, is simply everything I want theater to be: original, philosophical, musical, funny, eye-opening, thought-provoking, moving, intimate, epic, and profound. No doubt my words will come up short in attempting to describe why this piece is so special, but if you trust me, just go see it (
now through October 12), and thank me later.*
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| George Abud (photo by Dan Norma) |
Entering the Dowling Studio, which for this show is configured as an in-the-round space with a few rows of audience on four sides of a square, playwright and actor George Abud is lounging on stage, waiting for something. When the play starts, the other actor in this two-hander, Sydney Shepherd, arrives, and we see this is what he was waiting for. It soon becomes apparent that the two unnamed characters are new roommates in some sort of facility where people go to die, and they know exactly how many days they have left (spoiler alert: not many). Both are musicians, he plays a traditional Middle Eastern stringed instrument called an oud (pronounced ood) and she plays the cello. But they do more than simply
play music, they live and breathe and speak music. So begins one long beautiful conversation, taking place over their remaining few days, as they converse with music and poetry. Each has one book that seems to be their only possessions other than their instruments, his a book of poetry by
Kahlil Gibran, hers the novel
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by
Tom Robbins. They discuss life and death and everything in between, quoting from the books, playing each other their favorite songs (her the loveliest saddest song by early singer-songwriter
Connie Converse, him an epic Arabic song depicting a love story), tossing back and forth ideas about what this whole thing called life (and death) means. It's profound and revelatory and wondrous.
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| Sydney Shepherd (photo by Dan Norman) |
The intimacy of the Dowling Studio is essential for this piece; we're so close we feel like we're a part of the conversation, with no amplification to get in the way of the gorgeous singing and playing of the musicians (which is stunning - George's oud playing is impossibly fast with a beautifully haunting sound, and Sydney makes the cello sing in the way only a cello can). The gray tile square that is the performance space is divided by a diagonal crack, each character staying on their side of the room and never touching. Each has a single chair covered in a dusty blue sheet, a bedroll covered in the same blue, and a blanket. They're dressed in the coziest cream-colored jumpsuits over white shirts, that look institutional yet chic. The beautiful lighting contributes to the lovely aching tone of the show, and differentiates the scenes and days. And of course, all of the beautiful elements of words and music and emotion and design come together to create this exquisite show thanks to the direction of Tony-winning Broadway producer Osh Ashruf. (Scenic design by You-Shin Chen, costume design by Abbie Kenyon, lighting design by Mextly Couzin, sound design by Peter Morrow.)
If you're looking for theater that is original, unique, out-of-the-box, and will make your heart ache and your mind soar,
do not miss The Ruins. We're lucky to have this special show here at the Guthrie Theater first before it moves on to hopefully a long life.
*You could thank me for this or any other recommendation by contributing to my 15th anniversary fundraiser for #TCTheater!
Click here for all of the details about how donating $15 to your favorite theater company could win you two tickets to the Guthrie or Theater Latte Da.
