Sweet Storm is a new play by longtime actor and first-time playwright Scott Hudson. It’s 1960 in Florida and newlyweds Bo and Ruthie are up a tree . . . literally. A coming storm will test their faith and their love.
What ‘Sweet Storm’ Is About
Bo, a well-meaning but apparently clueless reverend on the rise, thought it romantic to honeymoon in a treehouse. He built it in the boughs of a big oak where as high schoolers he first knew he loved Ruthie.
There are three problems with this. First, Ruthie, through an unspecified accident, has lost the use of her legs and is afraid up there. Second, even if she weren’t afraid, she thought they were spending their wedding night in a hotel on the coast, which she would rather have done. Third, it’s raining, and a bigger storm is brewing, literally and emotionally.
As the threat of storm grows and Bo rolls out one inept and unwanted surprise after another, Ruthie’s anger grows as well, anger at Bo for getting it so wrong, anger at God because of her legs and, ultimately, anger at herself.
A Sweet Story
The image is clear, a tree with branches “like the fingers of God,” a high wind blowing through them and a young preacher who is the son of a preacher who is committed to loving Ruthie even if she doesn’t love him and can’t love herself.
Sweet Storm is a parable of faith and hope and love. But it never descends into preachiness or sugary sweetness. From a note in the program, we know Hudson was inspired to write about people he knows well when he heard a woman speaking with the twang of his childhood. That person was Jamie Dunn who stars as Ruthie.
She and Eric T. Miller, as Bo, nail the oblivious innocence and naive forthrightness of a couple of poor southern kids who are becoming adults overnight.
And Hudson nails what these two characters would have said and felt in that time and with their background.
Short and Sweet
Go see this show. It’s short, only 75 minutes, but it is a well-written, well-paced, well-acted 75 minutes.
Padraic Lillis directed, and it’s a compliment to say you never think about the direction. As outlandish as the setting is - kids up a tree - you feel like you’re eavesdropping (or branchdropping) on their wildly uncomfortable first night together.
Sweet storm is a joint production of Alchemy Theatre and LAByrinth Theater Company.
Where and When
Sweet Storm
- Kirk Theatre
410 West 42nd Street
(Theatre Row)
- Show Times and Tickets
- Run Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes (no intermission)
- Advisories: None