Hair Like the Sun Part - It's almost here

A little over three years ago, a friend handed me a book and a documentary and asked me if I thought there was a play in this. The documentary and book were both about a teenage girl named Ruth Mix who volunteered in the Gila River Internment Camp during WWII. I found her story compelling and knew immediately that it would make a great play. Three years later, that idea is now reality. In a little over a month, Hair Like the Sun will premiere at the Texas Repertory Theater.

It's hard to conceptualize the fact that a three year journey is almost over. This play, from its inception, was a labor of love. Claire Mix, Ruth's daughter, worked until the end of her life to tell this story through the documentary and book. It is a tragedy that she didn't live to see this day. I didn't get to know her very much, but I did enjoy working with her to bring her mother's story to life. Since her passing, one of my life goals was to finish what we started, and that's happening this March.

Of course, I'm hardly the only one involved in this production. There are many people working tirelessly to tell Ruth's story. We finally have a cast for the play, and they are incredible. Our director is a man of integrity, vision, and experience. Between him and the cast, I know that this story is in good hands.

Rehearsals will begin next month, and I plan to be there as much as I can. It's one thing to write a play, but it's another thing entirely to see it performed. That's when the story truly comes to life, and I'll see what works and what needs a final revision. That's the beauty of the play, it's constantly evolving. A line that works on paper might need to be revised when I actually hear it spoken from the actress playing Ruth.

In the next weeks, I expect I'll have a lot more to say about this project. Right now, I'm  just excited that this crazy notion from December 2012 is actually happening. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Read my other entries on Hair Like the Sun