This play
was written by Lynn Nottage. She is an award winning writer of plays
such as Fabulation and Intimate Apparel. "Ruined" is a play about
women in the Congo and the struggles they faced in a time of war.
The play takes place in a brothel in the Congo. In the war, women
were being brutally violated sexual in order to get back at and have
control over men. The term "Ruined" relates to the act of sexually
violating a women to the point where she can no long control her body,
is left disfigured or disabled in some way, and can no longer have
children. This play really makes one think about the simple things that
we may take forgranted in our everyday lives. It also opens our eyes to
see that the simple things like electronics that we enjoy around the
world play a role in why this war is taking place in the Congo, so it
becomes important not to ignore the struggles that people in the Congo
are facing to this very day. This play has a mixture of music, dancing,
and singing as well as drama. It is very touching and emotional, and
even at times very energetic and humorous. This play is composed of
many great and flexible actors and actresses.