Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed, The Good Negro) directs the Congolese-set drama about a war-torn land and the power of the human spirit that will officially open Jan. 12 and run through Feb. 6.
Here is a look at the production:
In addition to Patano ("Weeds"), the cast features Zainab Jah (Eclipsed) as Josephine, Carla Duren (110 in the Shade) as Sophie, Okieriete Onaodowan (Neighbors) as Simon, Oberon K.A. Adjepong as Christian, Pascale Armand as Salima, Jason Bowen as Fortune, Wendell Franklin as Jerome, Joseph Kamal (Dinner at Eight) as Mr. Harhari, Kola Ogundiran as Laurent and Adrian Roberts as Commander Osembenga. Alvin Terry and Adesoji Odukogbe are musicians for the production.
Here's how the Huntington bills the work: "In Ruined, savvy business woman Mama Nadi knows how to survive in the midst of the Congo civil war: don’t take sides. She sells beers, and girls at her bar and brothel to any man who'll leave his gun at the door, shrewdly keeping the peace among the warring sides. Miners, merchants, and government and rebel soldiers drink, dance, and choose from her women, many 'ruined' by rape and torture before they were pressed into prostitution. The good-time atmosphere of the canteen and Mama Nadi’s sharp wits can’t always protect her and her girls, but their courage, humor, and hope live on as they seek a path to the future in this gripping drama."
Tickets are available by calling (617) 266-0800 or by visiting Huntington Theatre. The Huntington Theatre Company performs on the Boston University main stage, located at 264 Huntington Avenue in Boston, MA.
