Ruined -- by Lynn Nottage (2009)

Description
I was curious if Lynn Nottage kept a twitter. She does, and her bio reads, "Hunter and gatherer. Writer. Currently conjuring a new play, Mlima's Tale." Her self-description sums her up perfectly. She hunts and gathers for the substance and sustenance of her material. Then, she writes. Her work is a conjuring: she takes what she has collected and creates something new with it all.

Ruined is set in the Democratic Repulic of Congo. More specifically, it takes place within Mama Nadi's bar. She "both protects and profits from the women whose bodies have become battlegrounds between the government soldiers and rebel forces alike," according to the blurb on the back of the print copy. Yes, the play is set during a civil war. Yes, the play focuses of sex trafficking.

Nottage addresses love, anger, and pain in her work as Salima and Sophie enter Mama Nadi's world. Their stories are amalgamations of true accounts of sex trafficking in the Congo. Nottage spent time interviewing Congolese women to ensure her storytelling was accurate, much akin to the process she underwent for Sweat.

The play won nearly every "Best Play" nomination it was granted. 

Candid Reactions

• Nottage achieves much in her stage directions and descriptions: "A lot of effort has gone into making the worn bar cheerful" (5). She primes characterization before dialogue. 
• Wow, some of this is bawdy. 
• That parrot reminds me of the dog in Between Riverside and Crazy and the pitcher in Fences. It also reminds me of the story I read a few years ago about how there were parrots who were the last communicators of a dying language. 
• Nottage lays on the motif of bartering quickly. 
• The descriptions of Salima and Sophie are vivid. 
• The weight of the titular word is heavy and effective. 
• Mama is a conundrum -- she wants information, but she doesn't want details. It is hard to know how to feel about her, especially in the first scene. 
• Mama refers to Sophie as "damaged goods" in front of her (16)? This dialogue is brutal. 
• How sad that Mama denotes how prettiness is certain to cause problems. How wrong is that? (17)
•  The displacement of anger leading to irreversible pain is another common theme started in the first scene. 
• I wonder who wrote the lyrics to these songs! Oh, Nottage did!
• Don't mess with Mama!
• Thievery is an important motif that is slyly introduced by Mr. Harani. 
• Nottage sprinkles in conversations on worth to further develop theme. Just as Mama questions the worth of new women working to sell their bodies, she also questions the worth of jewelry she has been gifted. 
• Mama declares, "I want a powerful slip of paper that says I can cut down a forest and dig holes and build to the moon if I choose" (27). She yearns for power and ownership. She curses the unequal playing field she did not create. 
• Interesting employment of kisses.
• Uh-oh. Who got Salima pregnant?
• Sophie is seriously trying to steal money from Mama? There is no way this is going to end well. 
• I wonder how Nottage determined where she wanted to slip in Swahili phrases. 
• Josephine is a critical character although she is probably labeled a minor character. She is a crucial foil. 
• Okay, this is getting tense. I can't imagine watching this live. 
• Christian's sobriety is a parallel to Sophie's decision to not engage in sexual activities at the bar. 
• Mama tells Sophie, "I know you better than you think" (55). HOW DID I OVERLOOK THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS STATEMENT. Thanks for the sneaky foreshadowing, Nottage. 
• I don't think I want to know what is going to happen in Act Two. 
• I'm getting a lot of Things Fall Apart vibes. 
• The first scene is almost an entr'acte. 
• How poetic for Salima's husband to be named "Fortune!" 
• Mama is relentless. 
• Salima's story is incredibly sad. 
• Oh, the irony in that the soldiers are said to be "fighting for liberation" and yet they behave with vast incrimination (69). 
• Sophie's response to Salima's story is tender. 
• Nottage creates simple metaphors with huge payoffs. 
• Christian essentially asks Mama, "Where are you directing your anger?" This question is one of the play's main discussion-starters. The same question can be asked, but with the word "anger" being replaced by the word "love."
• Thank God for comic relief. 
• Really, Mr. H? Everything is going to be fine?
• OH NO. THINGS ARE NOT FINE. 
• THINGS ARE NOT GOING TO BE FINE EITHER, ARE THEY? 
• THE DIAMOND. 
• MR. H IS ON MY SHORT LIST. 
• Nice return to the theme of ownership and pride when Mama states, "This is my place. Mama Nadi's" (91). I find it telling that she goes from speaking in the first person to speaking in the third person. 
• ARE YOU KIDDING ME? 
• Wait. Wait. Salima. What are you doing? 
• Oh no. 
• Les Mis, much? A Little Fall of Rain?
• Salima's last lines are epic!
• Christian and Mama's discussion on love is thought-provoking. 
• And there it is. Nottage has sneaked in a plot twist right at the end. WELL DONE. 
• That's who gets the last line? Really?  

Top Two Aspects/Reasons for Winning
1. Lynn Nottage as Field-Researcher

Nottage listens. I admire her ability to dedicate her time selflessly. Kate Whoriskey provides an excellent Introduction that details the extent to which Nottage gathers information before crafting her work. There is an adage for aspiring writers, "Write what you know." Nottage does not take the charge passively. That is, she does not simply rely upon her past experiences. Rather, she writes what she learns to know. Nottage connects with others, creating new experiences, and collects their narratives. I propose that Nottage was granted the prize not only because of sheer creativity, but also because of her authenticity- her ability to address social injustices on a stage for people to connect with emotionally, which can lead to activism.

2. Lynn Nottage as Storyteller

Nottage is a storyteller. All playwrights are, I suppose; however, Nottage's plays feel more like secretly filmed documentaries than purposefully shocking dramas. Although the exposition can seem straightforward, blunt, and time-consuming, her calculated pacing leads to a heart-pounding finale wherein the action and dialogue seem to jump into double-time. Always a step ahead, Nottage directs the listener's focus so as to develop character and conceal the surprise around the corner.

Classroom Implications
I know that some schools read the novel Sold by Patricia McCormick, so I know that the topic of sex trafficking is not taboo at all schools. I believe that Ruined could be a companion piece to this novel. The text includes several genres of writing: poetry, lyrics, dialogue. I believe students could find value in analyzing the several purposes of these types of writing. I think it could be eye-opening, too, for the students to read the Introduction to recognize the impact of research upon writing. It would be exciting to see students perhaps work together to address a current, local social problem through research and various forms of writing.

Personal Takeaway
Plays can truly shed light onto social injustices and raise awareness for social problems.

Ranking

	Dialogue	Characters	Plot/Conflict	Symbol/Literary Devices	Overall Enjoyment	TOTAL SCORE 8.75
0	Unfollowable; unrealistic; diction does not match character	Undeveloped; does not reflect humanity	Not engaging; predictable; reader can step away from text because it isn’t gripping	Devices are apparent for cleverness and do not enhance the story	Reader has no interest in re-reading play
1	Not consistently realistic	Well-developed; most depictions reflect humanity	Semi-engaging; some unnecessary plot-points	Devices somewhat enhance story	Reader would re-read with pleasure and reminded of work (1.5)
2	Realistic; connotative; diction matches characters (1.75)	Fully-developed; depictions reflect humanity (2)	Engaging; unique; reader finds it impossible to put down text because the conflict is so gripping! (1.75)	Devices seamlessly enhance the story and provide rich interpretation (1.75)	Reader would re-read the play on own volition, enthusiastically