Rachel Rubin Ladutke

Rachel Rubin Ladutke is a produced and published playwright living in New Jersey.

Her works include 8 full-length plays, 3 musicals, and numerous shorter pieces. Excerpts from several of her plays appear in monologue and scene anthologies.

​She is a proud member of the International Centre for Women Playwrights (and a former ICWP Board Member), and of the Dramatists Guild.

Rachel Rubin Ladutke is a produced and published playwright living in New Jersey.

Her works include 8 full-length plays, 3 musicals, and numerous shorter pieces. Excerpts from several of her plays appear in monologue and scene anthologies.

​She is a proud member of the International Centre for Women Playwrights (and a former ICWP Board Member), and of the Dramatists Guild.

Scripts

BELLES OF THE MILL, A Musical

by Rachel Rubin Ladutke

Synopsis

Book by Rachel Rubin Ladutke
Adapted from her play The Belles of The Mill
Music & Lyrics by Jill Marshall-Work

Lawrence, Massachusetts. 1912. In the throes of a bitter New England winter, tens of thousands of immigrant textile workers join a turbulent strike, and the life of one young worker is forever changed. Bridget Gallagher finds herself confronted with impossible choices, unexpected yet fierce new...

Book by Rachel Rubin Ladutke
Adapted from her play The Belles of The Mill
Music & Lyrics by Jill Marshall-Work

Lawrence, Massachusetts. 1912. In the throes of a bitter New England winter, tens of thousands of immigrant textile workers join a turbulent strike, and the life of one young worker is forever changed. Bridget Gallagher finds herself confronted with impossible choices, unexpected yet fierce new friendships, and the daunting opportunity to forge a role in the communal surge towards change.

Weaving a simple tale of courage and transformation with an evocative score, Belles of the Mill will touch the soul of everyone who would fight to protect their family and retain hope in the face of injustice.

CROSSING THE LINE

by Rachel Rubin Ladutke

Synopsis

The Haskell Free Library and Opera House straddles the Vermont/Quebec border. Violet Blue, the long-suffering librarian, also serves as the border patrol agent, and is directing a summer production of The Pirates of Penzance. Damon, a conscientious and soft-spoken high school student, is just trying to reconnect with his older brother Harrison, a member of the Pirates cast. Unfortunately, the brothers soon...

The Haskell Free Library and Opera House straddles the Vermont/Quebec border. Violet Blue, the long-suffering librarian, also serves as the border patrol agent, and is directing a summer production of The Pirates of Penzance. Damon, a conscientious and soft-spoken high school student, is just trying to reconnect with his older brother Harrison, a member of the Pirates cast. Unfortunately, the brothers soon find themselves entangled in a power struggle between Violet and the company's star, Aurora Allegra.

GRACE NOTES

by Rachel Rubin Ladutke

Synopsis

GRACE NOTES traces the lives of a New England family for three generations, through the lens of the witty, acerbic matriarch.

GRACE NOTES traces the lives of a New England family for three generations, through the lens of the witty, acerbic matriarch.

RICHMOND UNDERGROUND

by Rachel Rubin Ladutke

Synopsis

Set in 1864-65, RICHMOND UNDERGROUND tells the true tale of a ring of Unionist spies operating in the heart of the Confederacy. Among their ranks is wealthy, middle-aged Elizabeth Van Lew, whose veneer of respectability provides the perfect cover...for a while, anyway...

Set in 1864-65, RICHMOND UNDERGROUND tells the true tale of a ring of Unionist spies operating in the heart of the Confederacy. Among their ranks is wealthy, middle-aged Elizabeth Van Lew, whose veneer of respectability provides the perfect cover...for a while, anyway...

SOWING THE SEEDS

by Rachel Rubin Ladutke

Synopsis

In her late teens, Catherine gave up her daughter Samantha for adoption. Twenty-seven years later, they have been reunited, but it is not everything she hoped for. When the family gathers for a memorial service for Catherine's father, she is forced to come to terms with her own expectations, her aging mother's honesty, and her desire to repair her relationship with her teenage son.

In her late teens, Catherine gave up her daughter Samantha for adoption. Twenty-seven years later, they have been reunited, but it is not everything she hoped for. When the family gathers for a memorial service for Catherine's father, she is forced to come to terms with her own expectations, her aging mother's honesty, and her desire to repair her relationship with her teenage son.

THE UNDERSTANDING

by Rachel Rubin Ladutke

Synopsis

Set in Argentina in 1995, THE UNDERSTANDING depicts the legacy of Argentina's "Dirty War" through the eyes of two sisters who stumble upon shocking secrets about their past.

Set in Argentina in 1995, THE UNDERSTANDING depicts the legacy of Argentina's "Dirty War" through the eyes of two sisters who stumble upon shocking secrets about their past.

THE WAY FORWARD

by Rachel Rubin Ladutke

Synopsis

Wickham, Vermont. Mud Season is in full swing, and change is in the air. Liza, her wife Marti, and her best friend Charlie are all pondering life-altering choices...some of which don't sit well with Charlie's fiance, Ben. Meanwhile, Marti's mother Evelyn shows up on the doorstep of Liza and Marti's bed-and-breakfast, The Wickham Way Inn, unexpected and uninvited, with news of her own...

Wickham, Vermont. Mud Season is in full swing, and change is in the air. Liza, her wife Marti, and her best friend Charlie are all pondering life-altering choices...some of which don't sit well with Charlie's fiance, Ben. Meanwhile, Marti's mother Evelyn shows up on the doorstep of Liza and Marti's bed-and-breakfast, The Wickham Way Inn, unexpected and uninvited, with news of her own...

THE WAY HOME

by Rachel Rubin Ladutke

Synopsis

Wickham, Vermont. Liza and her wife Marti are at the center of a large, close-knit family-by-choice spanning four generations. When her brother's child comes out as non-binary, Liza's carefully balanced family dynamic is irrevocably changed. Over the course of one chaotic summer, everyone will be forced to re-examine their views about the true meaning of family and home.

Infused with longing, pathos, and...

Wickham, Vermont. Liza and her wife Marti are at the center of a large, close-knit family-by-choice spanning four generations. When her brother's child comes out as non-binary, Liza's carefully balanced family dynamic is irrevocably changed. Over the course of one chaotic summer, everyone will be forced to re-examine their views about the true meaning of family and home.

Infused with longing, pathos, and gentle humor, The Way Home explores our universal need for connection, understanding, and love.

THE WICKHAM WAY

by Rachel Rubin Ladutke

Synopsis

Liza Cooper, an up-and-coming folk singer, returns to her native Wickham, Vermont with her girlfriend Marti in tow. Liza fled Wickham ten years earlier, after a traumatic experience on the eve of her high school graduation. She vowed never to return...until an important occasion demands her presence.

Over the course of an emotionally fraught weekend, Liza struggles to come to terms with her past, in the form...

Liza Cooper, an up-and-coming folk singer, returns to her native Wickham, Vermont with her girlfriend Marti in tow. Liza fled Wickham ten years earlier, after a traumatic experience on the eve of her high school graduation. She vowed never to return...until an important occasion demands her presence.

Over the course of an emotionally fraught weekend, Liza struggles to come to terms with her past, in the form of her estranged childhood best friend, Charlie, and makes significant choices about her future with Marti.

Because Liza is a professional musician, this play with music includes four songs by Lisa Brigantino.