Quote of the Day: When I first encountered “The Ruins,” I was profoundly moved by its blend of dialogue, music and poetry. Joseph Haj, Artistic Director at the Guthrie Theater.

George Abud’s moving theatrical piece The Ruins, a play through music, is a meditative experience. He asks many profound questions: What does it mean to truly live? What do we reflect on at the end of our lives? How can music say so much without words, only sound and heartbeat, rhythm and nuance? Is music tangible or intangible?

George Abud, Actor 1 and playwright, in The Ruins, a play through music, at the Guthrie Theater, thru 10/12/25. Photo: Dan Norman

The Guthrie Theater has reactivated the Dowling Studio for performances, something they haven’t done since pre-Covid, with this exquisite theatrical piece. When you enter the black box studio, you see that it is set up with the stage in the middle and seating surrounding it on all four sides. The floor is tile-like with a jagged ridge down the diagonal center. (Scenic design by You-Shin Chen.) George Abud, Actor 1, is sitting in one corner, a chair and bedroll nearby, and an oud (pronounced ood, a guitar-like instrument). A cello is placed on the opposite corner with a chair and matching bedroll. When Sydney Shepherd, Actor 2, enters, she goes to the corner with the cello (we sat in her sector.) The two actors interact as if they are in a room together, but apart. They don’t touch. When they exchange books, they slide them across the line to each other. It’s like they’re in another space, not an actual physical room, but a place of waiting. They’re both waiting to die, with only a few days left before they cross over.

Sydney Shepherd, Actor 1, in The Ruins, a play through music, at the Guthrie Theater, thru 10/12/25.

Osh Ashruf directs this profound piece that leaves you with questions to ponder long after you walk out of the theater. They created so many beautiful moments using music, dialogue, poetry and quotes from the books they brought into this “room.” George has a book of poetry by Kahlil Gibran, and Sydney carries the book Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins (which I put on my TBR list). George talks about music, what sets apart Arab music from western music, plays and sings. He describes the quarter step, the moment where one note glides into another, and the space between notes. When Sydney tries to recreate it on her cello, she says, “I can hear it, but I can’t stay there. It’s like it’s pulling into another note.” They also talk about the space between words, the what someone is saying without saying any words.

George Abud, Actor 1 and playwright, and Sydney Shepherd, Actor 2, in The Ruins, a play through music, at the Guthrie Theater, thru 10/12/25. Photo: Dan Norman

All of the theatrical elements work beautifully together in this piece. Lighting design by Mextly Couzin, Sound design by Peter Morrow, and Costumes by Abbie Kenyon. You can see this profound piece of Theatrical Art at the Guthrie Theater Dowling Studio through Oct. 12, 2025.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Sydney Shepherd, Actor 1, in The Ruins, a play through music, at the Guthrie Theater, thru 10/12/25.

Journaling Prompt: What do you think about when you reflect on your own life, or that of a parent or loved one? Is music tangible or intangible? What other artforms move you?