Ruff

egendary actor, producer and playwright Peggy Shaw triumphantly returns to the stage in this world premiere. Ruff pays tribute to the host of crooners, lounge singers, movie stars, rock and roll bands and eccentric family members who have kept Shaw company, living inside her, for the past 68 years. Guided by longtime collaborator Lois Weaver, Shaw throws off the stigma of age and embraces the joy–and necessity–of creating new work, post-stroke, aided by new technology and even deeper courage. Shaw is the recipient of the 2011 Ethyl Eichelberger award.

Ruff is humorous, musical, and wise. It is also a lament. After her stroke, in 2011, Shaw was given a new perspective on the characters that have populated her work, including those that have disappeared into the dark holes of her brain. But more importantly, and more liberating, Ruff is a celebration of filling that blank space with new insights and Shaw relishes the opportunity to share them with her favorite confidants–the audience.

US Premiere