Pulitzer Prize-Winning ‘Ruined’at August Wilson; Pirates vs. Phillies + Kids Day (Sun., 7/24/16)

1) A new theater company—The Entertainment Consortium, Inc.’s African American Conservatory—opens its first season with the play that won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Ruined, by Lynn Nottage, is set in a mining town in the modern-day Democratic Republic of Congo. The reality is that civil wars have ravaged the country for over 20 years, with the fighting often inflamed by troops from neighboring countries. The play depicts what life is like in these conditions—Congo is a big nation of more than 80 million people, where many have been “ruined” in one way or another—but the focus is on young women who’ve been raped, tortured, and then shunned by their families. The central character is a sympathetic older woman who shelters these unfortunates, and there’s an ironic twist. The shelter she offers includes employment at her bar, which is also a brothel. Ruined has been praised for telling horrific stories in a human manner that stirs and engages audiences rather than numbing them with shock. 4 p.m. Ends today.. August Wilson Center, 980 Liberty Ave., Cultural District. (MV)

2) Our battlin’ Buccos take the diamond again today against the Philadelphia Phillies. It’s also Kids Day, with a Family Fun Zone outside the ball yard beforehand, and all fans 14 and under receiving Kids Josh Harrison Wall Decals  and a chance to run the bases after the game. First pitch is at 1:35 p.m. Next up for the Pirates is a two-game home series against the Seattle Mariners beginning Tuesday. PNC Park, 115 Federal St., North Shore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsxD3XVN5Ho

3) On the Waterfront – The classic Elia Kazan-directed film about corruption in the New Jersey longshoreman’s union with Marlon Brando as an ex-fighter who struggles to find redemption and integrity in the gritty world of the docks. The screenplay was originally written by Arthur Miller. But then Kazan went before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) in 1952 and identified eight actors as former members of the Communist Party. Miller refused to work with Kazan after that so Budd Schulberg (another HUAC informer) was brought in for a complete overhaul. The film is Eva Marie Saint’s debut and also stars Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden, and Rod Steiger in what are considered iconic performances. And, of course, there’s Brando’s classic line: “I coulda been a contender, instead of a bum, which is what I am.” 7:30 p.m. Screenings through July 28. Row House Cinema, 4115 Butler St., Lawrenceville. (TH)

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