Poor Ruthie. Nothing exciting ever happens in her life in rural Shallowford. She’s longing for some Clark Gable to come along and sweep her off her feet. And then, on the evening of Orson Welles’ “War of the Worlds” broadcast, the colorful men folk of the town gather at Ruthie’s father’s general store for their weekly bull session. In the midst of these characters’ gossip and banter, they miss hearing the disclaimer at the beginning of the broadcast and think that the planet is actually under attack by Martians. They rush out to protect the town, leaving Ruthie behind with her friend Lonny, whose fascination with science fiction leads him to realize the truth about the broadcast – except that no one will listen to him. Thinking she is about to die before her life even gets started, Ruthie vows that she will leave this world a woman – and make a man out of Lonny while she’s at it. What is an honorable boy like Lonny to do? By the end of the play, the people we want to grow and change do so, and the others remain the colorful characters they always were, which is as it should be.

Joe DelBalzo Assisant Director 

Jacob Dink