Reading theatre Alliance announces production of 'Ruined' with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright

The Greater Reading Alliance of Community Theatres (ACT), comprised of Genesius Theatre, Reading Civic Theatre and Reading Community Players, along with Lynn Nottage are pleased to announce that Cleo House Jr., Associate Professor of Theatre at Penn State Berks, has been chosen to direct its inaugural production of her Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Ruined.

On November 1st, 2nd and 13th, 2013 Greater Reading ACT will stage its collaborative production of 'Ruined' at the Miller Center for the Arts.

Ruined made its first appearance at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago in 2007, and was co-produced with the Manhattan Theatre Club in 2008.

For its Reading debut, the author of the piece, Lynn Nottage, and her original director Kate Whoriskey, will be working with Greater Reading ACT throughout the production process.

A press conference, attended by Lynn Nottage, will be held on Friday, May 31st at 11:00a.m. in room 418 of the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts.

Nottage set her internationally-revered play in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the horrors of almost constant warfare among competing political factions have ravaged the lives of ordinary Congolese citizens.

With sensitivity and honesty, Nottage explores the specific impact of implacable fighting on the lives of Congolese women.

In the Congo, and many other places in our world, the abuse of women is a tool of war.

Auditions for Ruined will be held on Sunday, June 2nd at 3p.m. and on Monday, June 3rd at 7p.m. in the Perkins Auditorium on the campus of Penn State Berks (2080 Tulpehocken Rd.)

For more information, please contact Ruth Martelli by calling

610-374-0777 or writing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Roles being cast are: MAMA NADI - a madam, a businesswoman, attractive, early forties JOSEPHINE - one of Mamas girls, early twenties SOPHIE - one of Mamas girls, eighteen, needs sweet-sound voice for a cappella singing throughout the play SALIMA - one of Mamas girls, nineteen CHRISTIAN - a traveling salesman, early forties MR. HARARI - a Lebanese diamond merchant, early forties JEROME KISEMBE - a rebel leader COMMANDER OSEMBENGA - a military leader for the current governmentFORTUNE - a Government Soldier, Salimas husband SIMON - a Government Soldier, Fortunes cousin LAURENT - a Government Soldier, Osembengas assistant AID WORKER, REBEL SOLDIERS, GOVERNMENT SOLDIERS Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4