‘The Story of Ruth’ on Stage 

by Colonel Richard Munn

Times Square Corps’ Theater 315 has gone and done it again! Recently finishing a run of weekend performances, artistic director Christopher Monroe and cast portrayed the heartwarming Old Testament story of Ruth, intertwined with Christmas carols, to enthusiastic and appreciative audiences. Perfect for the venue. Perfect for the season. 

For the past eight years, with Monroe as the creative catalyst, Theater 315 has produced and performed a range of theatrical shows, both indoors and outdoors, from classical Shakespeare to toe-tapping musicals. That impressive range also includes biblical stories told with current and popular music—a joining that began with the 2019 production Door of Hope, the story of Hosea and Gomer paired with the music of Carole King. It worked, brilliantly. 

In a sense this set the precedent for The Story of Ruth. 

SAconnects caught up with Christopher during the show’s run to give you, our readers, the story behind the story. 

How did the inspiration to produce the show come about in your heart and mind?  

I remember reading this story in college and being deeply moved on a personal level. Understanding Boaz as a type of Jesus, our ultimate Redeemer, and Ruth as someone being redeemed was genuinely soul stirring for me. To this day I find it absolutely beautiful that God would provide a love story in Scripture to convey His love for each of us. On top of that, Ruth is already a very popular love story, and who doesn’t enjoy a good love story? 

What are the predominant themes and motifs? 

The predominant theme is clearly one of redemption. Those who know the story know the “kinsman redeemer” concept is at the center of the plot. The story begins with a less than bleak future for our main characters, Naomi and Ruth, whose lives have been devastated by sickness, death, and loss. However, hope is slowly restored as God not only meets their basic needs but also brings them into a place of promise and abundant life. The story begins with death and funerals but ends with a wedding and the birth of a baby boy.  

It’s all about redemption. Naomi and her family line are redeemed. Ruth’s life is redeemed. Amazingly, the motif of redemption does not stop there. At the end of the Book of Ruth there is a genealogy that includes Ruth, Boaz, and their baby boy, Obed.  

This boy, Obed, grows up to become the grandfather of David, king of Israel, whose descendant is Jesus. So the birth of Obed is directly linked to the lineage of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of all humankind. A genealogy may be a dull way to end a story, but since it’s tied to the concept of eternal redemption it strikes like a bold bolt of lightning, flashing dramatically to highlight God’s work of salvation through human history. 

What aspects of the production are especially gratifying for you? 

First of all, it was a pleasure to work with wonderful people who came to us and volunteered their time and talent for this project. Beyond that, it was a joy to see another story from Scripture come to life on stage. Outside of a theater context, I can read this story and try to imagine it in my mind, but when I had to write the script and put the story on stage with living people, it became a whole new experience. 

The challenge of producing a Bible story as a piece of theater is that it raises new questions that demand answers, but the result is gaining greater insight and deeper revelation into the Bible. That alone is its own reward. 

Another satisfying discovery involved staging the famous threshing floor scene with Ruth and Boaz. In the morning when Ruth begins to leave, Boaz stops her and gives her an abundance of grain to take to Naomi. Reading this moment in the Bible is one thing, but staging this moment in a three-dimensional space provided opportunity to tell the story visually, with actions, without any words, and highlight the significance of this deeply meaningful moment. 

What do you hope the audience will take home with them? 

My bold answer is that they will have an encounter with the Holy Spirit. That is not something we determine, of course, but my hope is that this show is one through which the Lord can work. Along those lines, I hope that someone who does not know this story has the opportunity to hear it for the first time, and maybe be inspired to read the Bible for themselves. I hope that those who are familiar with the Bible will experience this story in a deeper and more meaningful way. Finally, since these stories in Scripture testify to the character of Jesus, I hope that everyone attending the show comes to know Jesus even better. 

Any final thoughts and insights for our readers? 

Probably the boldest choice made in adapting this story was weaving traditional Christmas carols into it. Since the story ends with a baby boy born in Bethlehem, it was easy to make the connection to Jesus, a baby boy also born in Bethlehem. Since the birth of Jesus is why we celebrate Christmas, it seemed like an invitation to adapt the story of Ruth as a Christmas show.  

The Christmas carols could seem out of place to the audience, but there is a prophecy from Micah at the beginning and end of the show to help bridge this gap. Additionally, while the lyrics of the carols are expressly about Jesus, many of the lyrics also link directly to the story of Ruth. 

Thank you, Christopher, you are a creative gem in our midst, and we benefit again from your fertile imagination and production skills. You can be sure of this, the SAconnects team is cheering you on.