A Review of SCDS’s ‘Journey Through Ruth’
This year’s Stern College Dramatics Society (SCDS) production, “Journey Through Ruth,” was once comically pitched to me as: a Jewish story, except it’s not miserable. In truth, the play is so much more than not miserable; it is heartwarming, hilarious and thought-provoking.
Written by Amy Guterson and directed by Jessica Schechter, “Journey Through Ruth” juxtaposes the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi and a modern story set in the summer of 1993, when five women of different ages, religious affiliations and backgrounds went on a Ruth-inspired tour of Israel. As the women learn and discuss Ruth’s story, the biblical Ruth (Ilana Pollak) and Naomi (Hayley Goldberg) don’t just come to life, but become a window for each tourist to understand themselves on a deeper level.
Narrated by modern female renditions of the archangels, Gavriella (Shayna Rose), Uriella (Rachel Ermine), Raphaela (Tsipora Berkovitch) and Michaela (Aliza Gans), the Ruth narrative uses much of the actual biblical text; however, the play expands Ruth and Naomi’s dialogues, shedding light onto the characters’ emotions, anxieties and desires. As Ruth and Naomi themselves develop, they also parallel and intersect with the women touring Israel in 1993.
The show is ambitious in its cast and character development — and it succeeds. As the Israeli tour guide Norit (Aliza Billet) leads Beverly (Chani Weinberger), Leslie (Mia Friedler), Rita (Tamara Yeshurun) and Devorah (Chana Light) throughout the land, each one is given the opportunity to question, reflect and, in her own unique way, actually enter into Ruth and Naomi’s biblical narrative. In fact, one of the most captivating elements of “Journey Through Ruth” is how it pushes the boundaries of a linear conception of time. Ruth and Naomi are not stuck in the past, and the tourists are not beholden to the present.
Throughout the tour’s hikes and trips, tensions rise as the women’s ideological and religious differences are highlighted. The women’s eclectic personalities and lifestyles, including a nomadic hipster, a professional doctor and a chassidic woman, cause the group to clash at times. But as the plot continues, their underlying similarities — a desire to belong, to be close to God and to grow spiritually — are forced into the foreground. In one particularly moving scene, the five women pray at Rachel’s tomb. At first each woman cries out to God for her own wishes and needs, but as the scene progresses, their distinct shouts turn into a unified chant of “Shema Yisrael.”
The emotional development and exploration of self is a foundational structure of the performance. However, it is also replete with laugh-out-loud moments, from witty lines to anachronistic scenes, like Devorah teaching Naomi what the Book of Psalms is and Ruth asking Leslie what “vibes” are.
What stands out in this play is not just the character development, but how the physical space continuously transforms. The props, often moved around by the guardian angels, become characters unto themselves. In addition, the audience is drawn in through sound and music, such as a live djembe drum played by Brooke Kohl (SCW ‘26) and a magical sound bowl. All of the stylistic elements infuse the plot with added meaning and create an immersive experience for the audience.
“Journey Through Ruth” raises serious questions — What does it mean to belong to a people and a place? Where and who do we call home? — and it is so much more than not miserable; it is contemplative and amusing, inspiring and lighthearted. The cast’s exquisite acting and the dynamic stage are sure to entertain the audience and leave viewers wanting more. I highly recommend that you find your way to the theater for this year’s SCDS play.
SCDS will be performing “Journey Through Ruth” in the Schottenstein Theater this week on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Anyone who is interested in seeing the play can sign up here.
Photo Caption: (Left to Right) Mia Friedler and Ilana Pollak in a scene from the play
Photo Credit: Hadassah Reich / The Commentator
