Script and Lyrics by JANE CASON
Music by DUSTIN CEITHAMER
The Cast: 15-20
The Set: Simple one unit
Approximate Length: 2 acts, 120 min.
The powerful Old Testament account of Ruth comes to life in a powerful character study. This touching story of love and devotion recounts Ruth’s marriage – a union granting her a special place in the family lineage leading to Jesus. An exciting contemporary score evokes ancient biblical times and combines folk dances, lush ballads and stirring anthems for an inspiring portrait of redemption.
The uplifting biblical story of Ruth is recounted in this award-winning musical. Ruth’s moving portrait of love and devotion reveals the poignant path to her marriage – a union granting her a special place in the family lineage leading to Jesus.
Ruth is young and strong. Naomi is past middle age. Stranger yet, Naomi is Ruth’s mother-in-law and comes from a completely different ethnic and religious background. Who would have put this pair together?
Yet they had only each other to rely upon when both their husbands died and they lost everything. They lived in treacherous times and the lives of widows were difficult. Loving Naomi encouraged Ruth to stay with her own people and find a new husband. But Ruth’s famous response demonstrates her love for Naomi was as strong as Naomi’s love for her…
“Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.
Your people will be my people and your God my God.
May the Lord deal with me severely if anything but death
separates you and me.”
(Ruth 1:16-17)
Would you be willing to give up your own people, your home, your citizenship, and your homeland to follow a loved one into an enemy country? This is the love Ruth displayed for Naomi. Ruth’s faithfulness to God and Naomi is rewarded as subsequent events amazingly lead to her redemption by the kindly Boaz. Their marriage and offspring made them the great grandparents of Israel’s greatest king — King David — and the ancestor of Jesus. Only the invisible hand of God can elevate seemingly ordinary people to extraordinary heights — even a widowed, impoverished refugee like Ruth.
Ruth – Faithful young woman
Elimelech – Man of Bethlehem
Young Mahlon – His boys
Young Chillion – His boys
Naomi – Their mother
Boaz – Master of the fields
Unamed Servant – Boaz’s trusted assistant
Mahlon – Outgoing young man
Chillon – His brother
Orpah – Chillion’s wife
Closest Kinsman – Relative of Naomi
(These names represent at least one speaking line)
Daniel
Matthias
Benjamin
Salmon
Samuel
Matthew
Seth
Simeon
Judah
Rachael
Elizabeth
Miriam
Sarah
Reapers, Shop Keepers, Female Gleaners, Boaz’s Household Servants, Weasley Merchants
Bethlehem Town Folk, Moab Merchants, Moab Dancing Girls, Bethlehem Gossips
ACT I
1. “We Grow Children in Bethlehem”……………Townfolk of Bethlehem
2. “Fill Our Tables”……………Boaz, Unnamed Servant, Men
3. “Opportunity in Moab”……………Merchants of Moab
4. “Do You Remember?”……………Elimelech and Naomi
5. “The Storm”……………Orpah, Naomi, and Ruth
6. “Let Your God Be My God”……………Ruth and Naomi
7. “Is this Naomi?”……………Townfolk of Bethlehem, Naomi
8. “Sabbath Song”……………Families of Bethlehem, Ruth and Naomi, Boaz and Unnamed Servant
9. “I Will Sing”……………Ruth, Boaz, Unnamed Servant, Women, and Reapers
ACT II
10. “I Will Sing” (Reprise)……………Ruth
11. “The Lord, The Lord Our God”……………Ruth and the Women, Boaz, Unnamed Servant, and the Reapers
12. “Threshing Floor/ Sleep Song”……………Boaz, Unnamed Servant and Men
13. “Aaronic Blessing”……………Men, Servant Boaz, Naomi, and Ruth
14. “Face to Face”……………Boaz and Ruth
15. “Wedding Song” (“Face to Face” Reprise)……………Boaz and Ruth
16. “Pentecost Celebration”……………Town Ensemble
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