Special to the Flash
The past four weeks have been a busy time for the cast and production team of “Ruined” in the Dept of Speech and Theatre. The play is based on real events happening in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“Ruined” takes place in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo – a very dangerous place. Rebels and the government fight for control of the nation, its people, and the vast mineral resources it boasts. Caught in the middle of rival factions, the women of Mama Nadi’s bar try to hold on as best they can in the face of unthinkable brutality and chaos.
Two women, Sophie and Salima, are sold into prostitution and safety at Mama Nadi’s for $20. Both have been brutally raped and then discarded by their families, who find them abhorrent. Salima was abandoned by her husband, while Sophie has been ‘ruined’. Though Mama Nadi is upset at having a ruined girl (who can not be prostituted and is another mouth to feed) she does take the girl in. Mama Nadi, in order to protect herself, her business, and the girls who work for her, carefully plays one side against the other.
From Lynn Nottage, the Pulitzer Prize winning author comes this haunting, probing work about the resilience of the human spirit during time of war. Set in a small mining town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this powerful play follows Mama Nadi, a shrewd businesswoman in a land torn apart by civil war. But is she protecting or profiting by the women she shelters. How far will she go to survive? Can a price be placed on human life?
The Department of Speech and Theatre and cast want to do more than stage the story so they are hosting a non-profit organization based in the Congo, Rudi International that focuses on educating Congolese children. These efforts they hope will minimize the violence and brutality in the region. Representatives from the organization will be at each performance.
JSU Theatre Studies professor and Costume and make-up designer Nadia Bodie-Smith said, “We want audiences to come and have a good time. The actors dance, sing, fight and push the boundaries of our western sensibilities.
“Ruined” truly is a tremendous, touching production with the laughter of survival and the cry for hope,” said Bodie-Smith. “We have worked tirelessly to bring this story to life, and feel ourselves honored to do so.”
The play runs from Nov. 7-11 at 7:30 pm at the Rose Embly Mccooy Auditorium. A special performance will be held on Nov. 8 at 10 am for locoal schools.
General admission is $10, $5 for senior and students adults. For more information, call (601) 979-5956 or (601) 979-4309.
Alexis Anderson contributed to this story.
