Ruth – sample script

The Cast: 15-20
The Set: Simple one unit
Approximate Length: 2 acts, 120 min.

“Ruth” the award-winning musical:

The powerful Old Testament account of Ruth comes to life in a powerful character study. This touching story of love and devotion recounts Ruth’s marriage – a union granting her a special place in the family lineage leading to Jesus. An exciting contemporary score evokes ancient biblical times and combines folk dances, lush ballads and stirring anthems for an inspiring portrait of redemption.

The uplifting biblical story of Ruth is recounted in this award-winning musical. Ruth’s moving portrait of love and devotion reveals the poignant path to her marriage – a union granting her a special place in the family lineage leading to Jesus.

Ruth is young and strong. Naomi is past middle age. Stranger yet, Naomi is Ruth’s mother-in-law and comes from a completely different ethnic and religious background. Who would have put this pair together?

Yet they had only each other to rely upon when both their husbands died and they lost everything. They lived in treacherous times and the lives of widows were difficult. Loving Naomi encouraged Ruth to stay with her own people and find a new husband. But Ruth’s famous response demonstrates her love for Naomi was as strong as Naomi’s love for her…

“Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.
Your people will be my people and your God my God.
May the Lord deal with me severely if anything but death
separates you and me.”
(Ruth 1:16-17)

Would you be willing to give up your own people, your home, your citizenship, and your homeland to follow a loved one into an enemy country? This is the love Ruth displayed for Naomi. Ruth’s faithfulness to God and Naomi is rewarded as subsequent events amazingly lead to her redemption by the kindly Boaz. Their marriage and offspring made them the great grandparents of Israel’s greatest king — King David — and the ancestor of Jesus. Only the invisible hand of God can elevate seemingly ordinary people to extraordinary heights — even a widowed, impoverished refugee like Ruth.

Sample Songs:

We Grow Children in Bethlehem – Ruth

Let Your God Be My God – Ruth

Sabbath Song – Ruth

Face To Face – Ruth

Pentecost Celebration – Ruth

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RUTH CAST OF CHARACTERS

(In Order of Appearance)

Ruth – Faithful young woman

Elimelech – Man of Bethlehem

Young Mahlon – His boys

Young Chillion – His boys

Naomi – Their mother

Boaz – Master of the fields

Head Servant – Boaz’s trusted assistant

Mahlon – Outgoing young man

Chillon – His brother

Orpah – Chillion’s wife

Closest Kinsman – Relative of Naomi

(These names represent at least one speaking line)
Daniel, Matthias, Benjamin
Salmon, Samuel, Matthew
Seth, Simeon, Judah
Rachael, Elizabeth, Miriam
Sarah

Reapers, Shop Keepers, Female Gleaners, Boaz’s Household Servants, Weasley Merchants
Bethlehem Town Folk, Moab Merchants, Moab Dancing Girls, Bethlehem Gossips