Karen Ruch (right) with Joellen Terranova, two cast members of “Tiny Beautiful Things.” Photo courtesy of Marc Faubel.
As humans, we ask for advice on a daily basis.
We may ask our waiters what they might recommend on the menu. At the doctor’s office, you might ask why your neck makes that weird popping sound when you turn it to the left and what to do about it. If you’re feeling adventurous, you might venture on to Nextdoor or Facebook to inquire about various neighborhood events.
There are other kinds of advice we ask of the more intimate sort—advice on extremely personal, embarrassing or life-changing decisions that need a second opinion. We ask a friend or family member or maybe a therapist, and these more serious pleas might be whispered over a coffee, in the corner of a cafe, or sent via a text that may have been written and rewritten a dozen times.
“I think my boyfriend is an alcoholic. How do I help him?”
“I’m almost certain my teenager is gay. What do I do if he comes out to me?”
“I don’t love my wife anymore. How do I leave her?”
Asking for advice can be difficult. It takes courage to expose the deepest parts of who we are. And that brings us to “Tiny Beautiful Things.”
In “Tiny Beautiful Things,” we meet Sugar, an advice columnist who shares correspondence from her time working at the online literary magazine, The Rumpus. During her stint as “Dear Sugar,” she hands out earnest and sometimes brutally honest advice, and, this spring, her story (and the stories of her letter-writers) will be shared at the intimate Studio Theater at Open Stage.
The play has had quite a journey from page to stage. It was originally published as a collection of essays in 2012 by Cheryl Strayed, who wrote the column pro bono for The Rumpus under the “Sugar” pseudonym. Strayed might be best known for her best-selling autobiographical novel “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” which details her fight with drug abuse and personal trauma to her journey of self-discovery on a single, 1,100-mile hike.
“Tiny Beautiful Things” was adapted to the stage in 2016 by Nia Vardalos (of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” fame) and ran in New York at the Public Theatre starring Vardalos for a sold-out run. The cultural significance of this story continues to spread. As of this April, Hulu will run the first season of a screen adaptation starring Kathryn Hahn.
Sugar is no “Dear Abby.” Her advice is not cut and dry; it is not simple. Her life experiences and traumas serve as a framework for her responses to her letter-writers, and it is blunt, but compassionate. It is empathetic and realistic. Throughout the show, the audience will come to understand why Sugar’s column was so popular. On this journey, Sugar is your friend, your therapist and your teacher.
So, of course, the part must be played by a true Renaissance woman. Taking on the role of Sugar is Karen Ruch, who has been seen on stages and behind the scenes all over central PA. Joining her as the “Letter Writers” are Chris Gibson, Jo Terranova and Jasmine Graham, who seek advice on subjects like the heartbreak of miscarriage or sexual assault, to marriage and relationship issues, to the importance of healing, self-love and forgiveness. The small and mighty cast puts on a performance that is vulnerable, stirring, sad and uplifting, all in an intimate, black box setting.
My advice to you? Don’t miss this show.
“Tiny Beautiful Things,” runs April 21 to May 7 at Open Stage, 25 N. Court St., Harrisburg, Tickets can be bought at the box office or online at www.openstagehbg.com.
UPCOMING EVENTS At Open Stage
www.openstagehbg.com
717-232-6736
The 13th Annual Capital 10-Miler
A run for the arts
Saturday, April 1 at 9 a.m.
EFF (Erotic Fan Fiction) Live!
Naughty readings of fanfics!
Friday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m.
“Charlotte’s Web”
Starring The OSHKids Performance Company
April 13 to 16
“Tiny Beautiful Things”
A new play based on the Cheryl Strayed novel
April 21 to May 7
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