The Players Theatre Company’s Script Circle Presents New Play Ruth With Playwright Doug Foresta

CONROE, Texas — The Players Theatre Company invites actors, theatre lovers, and members of the community to its next Script Circle on Thursday, September 3, at 7 p.m. at the Owen Theater, featuring a reading of Ruth, a new contemporary drama by playwright Doug Foresta, who will be present for the evening.

Participation in the reading is open to anyone, offering community members the opportunity to take part in bringing a new work to life. Those who would rather listen are equally welcome to attend as audience members. There is no charge to participate or attend, and light snacks and beverages will be provided.

Inspired by the biblical Book of Ruth, Foresta’s play explores loss, obligation, chosen family, and the difficult work of repairing what has been broken.

Set in Springfield, Massachusetts, Ruth centers on Naomi Wolfe, a once-formidable Jewish social worker and community organizer who is recovering from a serious injury in the apartment above the abandoned community center where she built her life’s work. Into her life comes Ruth, a young non-Jewish home health aide and former foster youth who is herself struggling to find stability and purpose.

When Ruth discovers Naomi’s past as an advocate and teacher, their relationship begins to move beyond that of caregiver and patient. Ruth becomes determined to learn from Naomi, and the two women find themselves confronting questions of care, boundaries, grief, responsibility, and what people owe one another.

Through their evolving relationship, Ruth encounters Jewish ideas of justice and repair not simply as abstract principles, but as practical tools for helping people who have been overlooked by broken systems. For Naomi, however, returning to the work that once defined her also means confronting the grief and loss she has tried to leave behind.

At its heart, Ruth asks what we inherit from those who came before us, what responsibilities we have to one another, and whether meaningful repair remains possible after profound loss.

Foresta began writing in 1996 at Gotham Writers Workshop and has studied playwriting at HB Studio and Pulse Ensemble Theatre, as well as with playwrights J. Dakota Powell and Lucy Wang. His play Mall was featured in the Samuel French One-Act Play Festival in New York City, while Mendy received a reading by Urban Myth. From 2002 to 2016, Foresta served as playwright-in-residence at the Drama Studio, helping develop more than 100 original short plays. He has received awards from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and his play Present Company Excluded was produced at the National Yiddish Book Theatre. Children of Moses was named a semifinalist at the Austin Film Festival.

The Players Theatre Company’s Script Circle brings actors, audiences, playwrights, and other members of the community together to explore dramatic works through live readings. No audition or previous involvement with The Players Theatre Company is required to participate. The informal setting provides an opportunity to discover new works, experience the play development process, and connect with others interested in theatre.

Event Information
Script Circle: Ruth by Doug Foresta
Playwright Doug Foresta will be in attendance
Thursday, September 3, 2026
7 p.m.

Owen Theater
225 Metcalf St., Conroe, Texas 77301
Admission: Free
Participation: Open to anyone interested in joining the reading
Refreshments: Light snacks and beverages provided