Tennessee Wet Rub

[Full-Length]
It’s January 30, 1951, and perhaps what is the worst winter storm in Tennessee’s history is burying the state under snow and ice. Roads have been shut down, and people are without power. As the storm rages, Bertha and Hank, an older white couple, huddle in their shuttered barbecue restaurant around a kerosene lantern when two young people, a white girl and a black male enter seeking...
[Full-Length]
It’s January 30, 1951, and perhaps what is the worst winter storm in Tennessee’s history is burying the state under snow and ice. Roads have been shut down, and people are without power. As the storm rages, Bertha and Hank, an older white couple, huddle in their shuttered barbecue restaurant around a kerosene lantern when two young people, a white girl and a black male enter seeking refuge. The values and compassion of Bertha and Hank are put to the test when a deputy sheriff arrives hunting for something or someone.
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Tennessee Wet Rub

Recommended by

  • Paul Donnelly:
    30 May. 2023
    This play is just gorgeous. It has a suspenseful narrative that had me on the edge of my seat the whole way. It also contains five richly developed and complex characters and spot on social commentary. But there is an artistic alchemy at work here that melds all these compelling parts into a richer, more moving whole.
  • John Bavoso:
    10 Dec. 2022
    This play held me in tense suspense from the very first page, but the true beauty of the script is the way it unfolds the characters into fully realized people. Ruyle’s attention to detail and language is on full display. Timely and timeless, this play is sure to be a crowd-pleaser and spark many a post-show discussion. Highly recommended!
  • DC Cathro:
    30 Sep. 2022
    A well-told tale of race and recipes, “Tennessee Wet Rub” is intriguing, insightful, and mysterious. Ruyle skillfully plays with regional dialects, and the play features rich characters that actors will joyously sink their teeth into.

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Chicago Dramatists
    ,
    2022

Production History

  • Workshop
    ,
    Staged Reading. Upright Theatre Company
    ,
    2023
  • Workshop
    ,
    Staged Reading, The Legacy Theatre, Stony Creek, Connecticut.
    ,
    2022

Awards

Winner
,
Best Script in Festival
,
Scriptwriters & Co.
,
2023
Winner
,
AACT NewPlayFest 2024
,
American Association of Community Theatre
,
2023
Finalist
,
Stanley Drama Award
,
Wagner College
,
2023
Semi-Finalist
,
New Works 2022 Festival
,
Panndora Productions
,
2022
Honorable Mention
,
Script (Stage Play/Television/ Movie Script/Short Film) category of the 91st Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition
,
Writer's Digest
,
2022
Selection
,
Second Round Selection in Stage Play Category
,
Austin Film Festival
,
2022
Winner
,
Overall Winner of The 2022 Legacy Play Reading Festival
,
Legacy Theatre
,
2022
Quarterfinalist Stage Play Competition
,
ScreenCraft
,
2022