The Ruby Sunrise

Steadstyle Chicago
July 2009
BY ALAN BRESLOFF

Television! This is what Rinne Groff's play "Ruby Sunrise" is about, the addictive little box that sends us pictures through the air. Before our new-age electronics world that brings us cellular telephones, fax machines, Internet and a combination of the above, television was the invention of all inventions. It was going to change the world; it would bring "the end to wars" and make "the people of our world better". These are some of the statements made by Ruby in this intriguing little tale of how she developed the process in a little barn in Indiana back in 1927.

Director John Gawlick takes us on this journey through time by starting the show with a video of television showing us some of the major things first witnessed on a TV screen. Families gathered together eating meals at "snack trays" (some of these meals frozen dinners in tin foil trays) to watch this little box as we go back to that little farm and Ruby tells us her story. Ruby is played by Maura Kidwell, who you might remember from Redtwist Theater's "Equus". She is just as powerful in this role. Ruby is one smart young lady who lived in a home with domestic violence and her escape was to capture the electrons and bring happiness to others.

In this play, we have what appears to be a play within a play as the scenes change, and set changes are a part of the production with a stage manager and crew moving walls, a clever creation by set designer Ian Zywica. We learn of Ruby's love affair with a student staying in the boarding house where she is hiding in the barn and her relationship with the owner of the boarding house, who at one time was her father's lover. It turns out they have a child and years later, their daughter Lulu (a strong performance by Brenda Barrie) is working in New York at a TV station as a script reader. Her opportunity arises to get her mother's story told as she convinces writer Tad Rose (a powerful yet underplayed character by Michael Patrick Thornton) to write the story.

Now we are in 1962 and they begin to write and cast the story of Ruby. The actors who are hired to play the boarding room owner and the boyfriend are in fact the two actors who played the roles in the first act. Patrick De Nicola gives a wonderful performance as Henry and an even better job as the actor Paul Benjamin playing himself as Henry, and Alexandra Main makes both of her characters very real. This was during the Communism hearings and the actress that was supposed to play Ruby, Elizabeth Hunter (Maura Kidwell shows us another side of her limitless talents) has been blacklisted so a not so perfect actress, Suzie Tyrone (a sweet and funny performance by Caitlin Emmons) gets the role.

Because this is live TV there is censorship to deal with and rewrites that change the story causing great friction between Lulu and her boss, Producer Martin Marcus (another smart performance by John Kelly Connolly) and she is fired. As the story progresses, we have some emotional setbacks as actors feel that the story should be told as it happened and Tad brings Lulu back to finish the story. I must say that the chemistry between Mr. Thornton and Ms. Barrie is magical as is that between Ms. Kidwell and Mr. De Nicola. The play ends on a different note than what we experienced in the first act, but a very positive and loving note that might just bring a tear to your eye.

The Gift Theatre Company is known for bringing us simple stories that are filled with honesty. For those of you who have not been there, The Gift is a true storefront located in Jefferson Park at Milwaukee and Lawrence Avenue. This theater has 31 seats and is small in size but large in stature. Their productions are well staged. In fact, this one was almost choreographed in the movement of the stage manager (Nick Bonges) and his crew (Jennifer Betancourt, Katie Genualdi and Raymond Shoemaker, who also does a great Superman). The videos used are vintage and classic. In particular, for you older TV viewers, the 10 minutes of intermission are filled with nostalgic moments as we get to see some of the old commercials and hear the likes of Pat Boone. Liviu Pasare has done a marvelous job of putting this together and just the old video seen is worth the price of admission. As I say on a regular basis, live theater is the form of entertainment I favor and this production fills the bill!