Event

The Ruby Sunrise

Our show begins with Ruby, a grease-stained tomboy currently living her aunt's barn after fleeing from her abusive father. This relationship has given her one good thing: an aptitude for science. This, combined with knowledge of electromagnetic radiation gleaned from Popular Mechanics, leads Ruby to create the first prototype of the television. Unfortunately, Ruby's invention literally blows up, and the play flashes from her life in 1927 Indiana to her daughter Lulu's life in 1952 New York City, the Golden Age of television. Lulu is a script coordinator who is putting her mother's story into a teleplay; sadly, it's rewritten to suit the standards of the day. The later scenes depict the (comedic) rehearsals and filming of the compromised, but ultimately approved, version of Ruby's story. Overall, the play examines the dashed dreams and tarnished ideals of two generations of spirited Midwestern women.