Ruth and the Green Book at The Center for Puppetry Arts

In conjunction with Black History Month, The Center for Puppetry Arts is featuring "Ruth and the Green Book" through February 25th.

This award winning book chronicles a relatively-unknown chapter in Civil Rights history.  Ruth and the Green Book follows an African American family as they travel from Chicago to Alabama in the Jim Crow South of the 1950s. After being turned away from hotels, gas stations and restaurants, 8-year-old Ruth and her parents are introduced to "The Green Book," a travel guide for black motorists conceived as a response to the humiliation and violence experienced by African Americans while traveling. Using an innovative combination of puppetry and animated projections that are inspired by the book's illustrations, this collaboration between Artistic Director Jon Ludwig and the author and Atlanta resident, Calvin Alexander Ramsey, celebrates this great guidebook that  helped Ruth's family, like many others, find safe routes to welcoming places and people.

One of my readers, Janet Montgomery, won tickets to a recent performance and sent me the following review:

I took my ten year old son and one of his classmates. We all thoroughly enjoyed the show and it was very educational. The entire cast did a fabulous job demonstrating how the Green Book was developed and organized.
The music was well delivered, the props were colorful and immediately captured your attention. The puppets were believable and kept you engaged during the entire presentation. What a creative way to get across a period of time in our history!..

After the show we were able to meet the cast plus take pictures. There was an open Q & A session as well. The cast explained how the Green Book got started, talked about the author of the book, discussed the types of puppets and their construction and then reviewed how each cast member got involved etc.        I had an opportunity to ask the following two questions: 1) Are you planning to take the show on the road? Ans. yes that's the plan 2) Why didn't the puppets have mouth movements? Ans. Because these puppets were of a specific type and also noted that persons sitting in the rear would not have been able to see the mouth movements.       Again, thanks so much and I would highly recommend this as a "MUST SEE" entertaining production.

As part of the Teen & Adult performance series, Ruth and the Green Book is recommended for ages nine and up. Performances are in the Downstairs Theater at the Center for Puppetry Arts, Feb. 7 - 26, 2012.

Showtimes:
• Tues-Thurs: 11am
• Fri: 11am & 7:30pm
• Sat: 3pm & 7:30pm
• Sun: 5pm

Click HERE to get a 25% off discount to Ruth and the Green Book. Show ends Feb 26th.

Click HERE for information about other family events in our area.