Ruth et alia

Ellie Elia and Jione Havea wind up the collection with a script of a drama that circles around the story of Ruth, a foreign woman taken into diaspora (dispersion). In this instance, Judah is the diaspora where Ruth is othered in several ways: as a Moabite; as a daughter-in-law; as booty in an inheritance; as a mother whose new-born was taken and given to someone else, and etcetera. In this drama, Ruth is the gathering site (similar to the ceremonial sites of native communities) for dispersed and othered subjects, in other words, this drama involves Ruth et alia (and others).
The mention of her name, Ruth, raises various reactions from subjects such as raped victims, transgender subjects, trafficked workers, refugees, et alia. From the mention of her name, the drama unfolds and invites praise. antipathy. disbelief. indifference. uncertainty. annoyance. dispersion. dis-person. regathering. embrace. ceremony.