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player ready...Longtime director John Ruffin had grand plans when he opened Theater 47 late in 2019. He envisioned the 200-seat black-box theater in Park Forest as a way to stage the type of creative performances he longed to do while highlighting the area’s local talent.
That goal hasn’t changed, but a personal tragedy in his own life made him reconsider the types of stories he wanted to tell.
“My stepson committed suicide,” Ruffin said. “His funeral was the same day we were opening the theater. It was the hardest day of my life.
“Since then, my mission has been to bring the issue of mental health awareness to people’s attention,” he said. “Mental health is one of the least talked about illnesses in the Black community and one of the least talked about issues in the entertainment community. I have the power to do something about that, and I want to use it.”
Ruffin’s latest stage creation does just that.
“Living All Alone,” written and directed by Ruffin, is based on the life of singer Phyllis Hyman, who was best known for her work from the late 1970s through the early 1990s, with hits that included “You Know How to Love Me,” “Living All Alone” and “Don’t Wanna Change the World.” Hyman, who suffered from depression, took her own life in 1995 at the age of 45.
“I was working on a project about Billie Holiday when I learned about her,” Ruffin said. “I was drawn to her story, and I thought this is something that more people should know about.”
The show, running at Theater 47 through April 23, takes advantage of the regional talent that Ruffin hoped to highlight.
Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays, 7 p.m. Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays.
“Young people here have the talent; they just need the platform,” he said. “I want them to succeed.”
One of those performers getting the chance is the show’s lead, Liberty Clay. Her story sounds like the setup to its own Broadway musical. She grew up singing with her family — her sister is Sandy Redd, who found success on the TV show “The Voice” — and she performed in high school theater and dance productions. But at age 38 and with two young kids, the stage wasn’t on her radar.
“I was scrolling through Facebook, and I saw John post about the auditions,” she recalled. “I thought, ‘I’m going to do this.’ After the pandemic, it’s time to stop being scared of your talents and put yourself out there.”
Ruffin knew that Clay had something special immediately, even if she wasn’t so sure.
“She was raw, but you could see it,” Ruffin said.
“I said, ‘Are you sure about that? Are you really sure?'” Clay said.
Clay had not been on stage since high school, and as a singer, she was more comfortable in a background role, supporting her sister.
“I was very, very scared,” Clay admitted. “I wasn’t sure that I could do it. I pushed myself. John really pushed me. And it ended up working. It’s been a life-changing experience for me.”
The biographical musical uses songs from Hyman’s catalog, arranged by musical director Berrris Bolton.
“What’s interesting about (Hyman) is that she’s a multigenre artist,” Bolton said. “She’s known for her R&B, but she did pop and jazz — she was on one of Duke Ellington’s records. She was never painted in a box, which means musically we have a lot to play with.”
While the show’s success — it has sold out every performance since opening on Feb. 25 — has been heartening to Ruffin, he’s most proud of the conversations happening after the show.
“As great as her music is, and as tragic as her story is, it’s making people look at themselves and others close to them,” he said.
“The most rewarding thing for me is after the show, when men walk up to me and give me a hug and say ‘thank you’ for this. It means a lot when men can open up to you like that.
“One guy has been here five times,” Ruffin said. “It’s getting people to talk. We don’t do that anymore. It’s such a social media age, you almost have to check on Facebook to see how someone is doing. But it’s still possible to have a dialogue. You can talk to each other. That’s what I want to see.”
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‘Living All Alone: Phyllis Hyman Musical’
When: through April 23
Where: Theater 47, 350 Victory Drive, Park Forest
Tickets: $40
Information: theater47.com
Jeff Banowetz is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.