Lynn Nottage’s “Ruined,” which received last year’s Pulitzer Prize for Drama, may be seen through Dec. 19 in an affecting, hard-hitting production at La Jolla Playhouse. The drama, which concerns women survivors of the Congolese civil war, is set in a combination bar and brothel located in the midst of the Ituri Forest. The proprietor is Mama Nadi (Tonye Patano), a tough, practical, self-made woman who manages her world, her girls, drop-in miners and soldiers from opposing militias with a great understanding — if not love — of human nature. She brooks no nonsense in ruling her establishment, which consists of a large, welcoming barroom with a raised bandstand where two musicians play. The bar is surrounded by lush jungle growth, and just outside the back door are nearly a dozen unseen prostitutes. The reason for the play’s title becomes apparent almost immediately when Mama’s supplier, a gentle man named Christian (Oberon K.A. Adjepong), arrives with two girls in tow. One is Salima (Pascale Armand), whose husband deserted her when she was gang-raped by a militia that killed their infant daughter. The other girl is Christian’s niece, Sophie (Carla Duren), whom Mama says she cannot use because the girl is “ruined;” that is, she has been so damaged by rape and mutilation that she is of no use in a brothel. Because Sophie can sing, Mama agrees to take her on. The other bar regular is Mr. Harari (Joseph Kamal), a white man whose activities may not be altruistic. Armed men — from both rebel militias and official, government-supported armies — pass through, looking for booze, cigarettes and comfort. One is Fortune (Jason Bowen), Salima’s repentant husband, from whom the girl hides. Among others are rebel leader Jerome Kisembe (Wendell B. Franklin) and Commander Osembenga (Adrian Roberts) of government-sanctioned troops. Fighting comes near and civilians flee. The microcosm represents life in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly focusing on the women caught in a conflict that continues despite the fact that it officially ended in 2002. Director Liesl Tommy states in her program note that 200,000 females have been reported raped in the past decade. In Nottage’s play, which she based on Congolese women she met and talked with, courage and goodness emerge and ultimately provide a transcendent conclusion, even though the ravaged country’s problems continue. Though this important work is not for the faint of heart, the rewards are great. Riveting, horrifying and unsparingly performed, “Ruined” affords some understanding of the complicated situation in the Congo, and by extension, of women’s eternal condition in any country torn by war. Nottage originally set about to write a play informed by Bertold Brecht’s “Mother Courage.” As brilliantly and assuredly played by Patano, Mama Nadi assumes that iconic proportion. Other leading roles are magnificently played by all the aforementioned. In addition, Zainab Jah is marvelous as the beleaguered prostitute Josephine, daughter of a former chieftain. A co-production with the Huntington Theatre Company and Berkeley Repertory Theatre, “Ruined” has a wondrous set by Clint Ramos with lighting by Lap Chi Chu, colorful costumes by Kathleen Geldard, and sound design and original music by Broken Chord. Randy Duncan and Steve Rankin provide all-important choreography and fight direction, respectively. Robert Barry Fleming is dialect and vocal coach. Tickets cost from $31 to $66, and more information is available at www.lajollaplayhouse.org or by calling (858) 550-1010.
