This year, Asbury University is presenting the play “The Ruby Sunrise” by Rinne Groff. “The Ruby Sunrise” is a story of a girl named Ruby who attempts to build an electric television in the 1920s but ultimately fails. The play continues with Ruby’s daughter, Lulu, trying to tell her mom’s story in the 1950s on television.
Ryleigh Adams, a freshman theatre major, plays Lulu, a main character in the second act of the play. Adams has been involved in theatre for most of her life. She was six years old when she acted in her first play, “Butterfly Shoes,” where she had one line. Since then, she has performed several lead roles.
“I’ve acted since I can remember,” said Adams, “I’ve been on the stage for as long as I can remember, but this role is something so different than what I’ve done in the past, so it’s something completely new to me, and so still making those discoveries of ‘how am I supposed to play this character that is so different from myself?’”
Adams has always known she wanted to pursue theatre as her career, and a little over a year ago that desire was confirmed.
“I ended up doing the Governor’s School for the Arts program the summer before my senior year, and I was like, I want to do this, and I want to pursue it as a lifelong career because it’s something that I’m so passionate about,” said Adams.
Adams chose Asbury’s theatre program because it is smaller and offers a large variety so that students get a taste of not only acting but also directing, stage management, costumes and more. Her favorite part of the theatre program has been the collaborative work she has participated in.
To prepare for opening night of “The Ruby Sunrise,” Adams said much preparation was put into the technical elements as well as individual character portrayal.
“We spent a lot of time looking at the overarching concept of the story and what we want the audience to get from what we’re putting on,” said Adams. “It’s a great story, especially for what’s happening in today’s day and age, and I think it speaks a lot to what’s happening in the world because it’s about speaking the truth. I think that it’s an important story to be told.”
Even though Adams claims that she differs in many ways from the character she plays, she has found similarities and ways to connect to Lulu.
“Lulu is a very passionate person who advocates for the small people, and she’s very passionate about the truth and getting what is truth out there and making sure that it’s told in the way that it should be, but she’s also a very complicated character because she herself is a hypocrite in that way. But she’s so passionate when it comes to talking about television, and I just relate that to my passion of theatre.”
Luke deMena, a junior majoring in theatre with a minor in sales, plays two characters in “The Ruby Sunrise,” Henry and Paul Benjamin. DeMena has much experience in theatre and has been acting since middle school.
“Growing up, as a kid, I loved watching Star Wars and movies, and I’ve always wanted to be a part of those stories and those worlds,” said deMena. “Theater was like a way for me to express my creativity and my personality..”
DeMena acknowledges that this play is different than some of the ones Asbury has done in the past.
“One of the more unique aspects of this play is that it takes place in two completely separate time periods,” said deMena. “The first half, a lot of it, takes place in the 1920s and the outskirts of Indianapolis, so kind of farmland, rural area, and then the second half of the play takes place in 1950s New York, Manhattan, so it’s very unique there where we’re having two completely different tones, and it’s very fun.”
Henry, a farm boy pursuing a degree in agriculture, is a key character in the first act of the play who meets and falls in love with Ruby. Paul Benjamin is an ambitious young actor in the second act of the play. DeMena discusses how he connects with both roles and keeps them distinct.
“They are very different personality-wise, so I do get to show off my range and what I’ve done in terms of the more serious acting and also the more goofy, comedic, over-the-top acting,” deMena said. “I think in terms of acting, one of the key principles is that you want to find how you connect with your character.”
DeMena said he particularly enjoys Henry’s opening scene.
“There’s a number of scenes in this play that I really enjoy. I think the first scene in particular; it’s where Henry meets Ruby for the first time, and they don’t know each other…they’re just trying to feel each other out, ‘Are you trustworthy?’ and then they slowly develop this connection to each other.”
“The Ruby Sunrise” will be performed from Nov. 5-14 in the Greathouse Theatre, and tickets can be purchased online at https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/asbury-university/6acc4d69553704f2fb5bc4c8/tickets#/productions-view or at the door.
