Annie Ruth has "ripped herself open", warts and all, with the hope it will trigger memories of people’s own lives and encourage them to reflect and be grateful for "all the bits, terrible and wonderful".
"Everyone has a rich and wonderful life, I truly believe this."
She admits reliving some parts of her life on stage can be tough but that is balanced by the joyous parts of her life that still make her laugh.
"I pledged to myself that I would not varnish anything. I promise you every word is true to the best of my ability and memory and all of that."
Exposing your life is not for the faint-hearted, but Ruth says it is similar to what a person does when starting a new relationship.
"I thought it would be wonderful to be that brave with a group of strangers. The world doesn’t fall apart because you reveal the deeper parts of yourself."
Ruth, who spent the first 10 years of her life in Dunedin, growing up in Port Chalmers, tells the story of her "very eventful" life through her love of books.
"They are the ongoing thread in my life. A previous lover joked she’d have to go to the library to get a divorce as it’s the only place she’d find me."
Ruth, who has an e-reader with more than 2000 books on it, will read anything, describing herself as an omnivore.
"I’m so not a snob. I do read beautiful classic novels. I adore science fiction and I adore detective stories. I’ve read all of Georgette Hyer’s historical romances and all the Bridgerton books.
“So it’s The Book Addict, as that’s what I am. Books are there for you in good times and bad. They enlarge your life and reassure you, you are not alone in it."
She is a firm believer there are beautiful writers in every genre, even Westerns.
“I love Western movies. I grew up on spaghetti westerns. [The] Power of the Dog’s amazing, I got to go to the premiere ... I love it. It was very brave, intense."
It was through books her father read to her every night that she discovered Greece.
“When I was 7 he read to me the history of the Peloponnesian Wars. It set something off. Not just a love, an obsession with Greece."
So in her early 20s, Ruth headed off overseas ultimately organising to meet her mother and auntie in Greece.
There she ran out of money, so got a job.
She also met Yanni who was to become the father of her child.
Since then, the country has played an integral part of her life.
“I’ve travelled a lot but the places that truly sing to me are New Zealand and Greece. They’re both quite elemental countries. We’re blessed here with our relationship with ta Maori which has echoes in Greek culture too, both of them have enriched my life."
Up until Covid-19 hit she returned regularly to the country and now shares the wonders of the country with her wife, enjoying village life on the island of Aegina.
“It’s beautiful and quirky, the people are amazing. They [have] this word philoxenia which means a love of strangers."
Her life in Greece is an important part of the story Ruth tells — a story that came to light after she performed in the Circa Theatre show Older the Better as a guest actor. Ruth was one of the first Wellington drama school graduates and went on to become director of Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School for 15 years. (1997-2011).
“I called it ‘The Many Ages of Annie Ruth’ and did a quick overview lightly about my life and I got fabulous feedback so it started me thinking and in a desultory way I started writing."
An opportunity to present a work at a development festival at Toi Whakaari led her to show the play.
“They were so positive about it. I thought, it’s a goer."
So she started writing in earnest last year and soon had her "dream team" on board to make it happen.
“We did a lot of small showings and got a lot valuable feedback and this year we started rehearsals."
The story is structured around her relationships and canvases her early years as the oldest of five children with parents in an unhappy marriage, the suicide of a close friend, her marriage to a lecturer at university, her fraught relationship with her son’s father, the birth of her son and grandson and her latest and very happy relationship.
“Being a grandparent is a blast."
She had her first performance in front of friends earlier this year and the feedback was wonderful, she says.
“There was a lot of laughter and people weeping too. It was a wonderful experience."
The work was to be performed at the Hamilton Garden Festival but it was cancelled due to Covid-19.
So she is determined to perform it in Dunedin.
Having the ability to be in the same room with people and connect with the audience is what has always appealed to Ruth in theatre work.
“To be able to do it in Covid times is a great gift. I’ve been a risk-taker all of my life and it’s not the time to stop now."
The show
The Book Addict, New Athenaeum Theatre, March 20-24.
