Tennessee Wet Rub by Kim E. Ruyle

Arts Fort Worth is committed to providing greater opportunities for the Fort Worth and North Texas theater community. The Original Works Series program was created to give new and emerging playwrights the chance to showcase their work, but the program has also created opportunities for local theater crews, performers, producers, directors, and production companies. From the initial submission of scripts from all over the world, Arts Fort Worth selects eight and partners with other theater production companies to perform live readings at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center. From those scripts, a panel of theater professionals selects one play to become a fully staged production the following spring.
Learn more about this reading, the playwright, and the Original Works Series at artsfortworth.org/original-works-series-2023
This reading was performed by Upright Theatre Company
Synopsis:
It’s January 30, 1951, and the worst winter storm in Tennessee’s recorded history is burying the state under snow and ice. Roads have been shut down, and people are without power. As the storm rages, Hank and Bertha, an older white couple, huddle in their shuttered barbecue restaurant around a kerosene lantern. Suddenly, a 16-year-old white girl, Arleta, and a 20-year-old black male, Dunk, burst into the restaurant seeking shelter. They are shaking and nearly frozen. This eloping couple is breaking the law, and their presence taunts Hank and Bertha and tests their values and compassion. Just by being there, Dunk and Arleta are putting the older couple in peril. While Bertha tries to come to terms with Arleta, Hank begins to bond with Dunk in the unlikeliest of ways and finds his worldview transformed. Over a dinner of ribs, just as the two couples are finding a sense of peace and order, turmoil erupts with the arrival of Vern, a deputy sheriff. The conflict escalates and rises to a crescendo when Vern attempts to arrest Dunk for kidnapping Arleta.
Playwright Bio:
My stories come from a unique background and are driven by my passion for theater. I’m a US Army veteran with a blue-collar background who went on to earn three master’s degrees and a Ph.D. A kid from rural America who grew up to have a business career that took him to 49 states and 45 countries. A student of the theater who has spent the last 25 years attending and reflecting on more than 100 Broadway productions and many more regional and community theater productions. An active member of the Dramatist Guild, Playwrights’ Center, and Chicago Dramatists. An alumnus of the Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive and of the Theatre Resources Unlimited Producer Development and Mentorship Program Master Level. I am committed to my craft. Writing plays is my second career. I worked as a human resource executive and leadership development consultant before focusing on writing for the stage. In those roles, I was a frequent conference speaker (more than 100 national and international conferences) and writer (dozens of articles and book chapters). I’ve served on numerous expert panels and editorial boards and authored or co-authored five books on talent management and leadership development. Academic credentials include three master’s degrees and a Ph.D.

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