Ruined

by Lynn Nottage
Rutgers Theatre Company

What is the cost of love in all its forms?

Cast:

Imani Destinee, Jamar Felder, Sophie Lambert, Jacx Mitchell, Maia Marie, Daryel T. Monson, Ricardo Reid Jr., Sami Rizvi, Mercedes Robinson, Mesai Williams, Jaden Wyche

Design:
Maya Ramdayal (Scenic), Alex Chua (Lighting), Jason Goodwin (Costumes), Liv Reyes (Sound), Caroline Eng (Composer), Sacha Comrie (Intimacy/Choreography), Cameron Knight (Fight Direction), Ann-Louise Wolf (Dialect Coach), Lazarus Simmons (Associate Director), Aila Debira (Assistant Director)

Director’s Note:

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the most resource-rich countries in the world. Minerals essential to our electronics are found in extraordinary abundance there. And yet, despite this wealth, the Congo remains one of the poorest nations on earth and has endured decades of conflict. Internal and external forces battle for control of these resources, and too often the bodies of Congolese citizens, specifically women, become the battleground upon which these struggles are fought.

In Ruined, we encounter Mama Nadi, a woman who has built a sanctuary powered by the chaos. Her bar is a place of quiet where she attempts to keep the war outside her door and off the bodies of those who enter. In many ways, Ruined puts Mama Nadi’s interior onstage. On display are all the things she loves and believes are worth protecting.