Playwright/John Ruffin

Playwright John Ruffin from Chicago talks about how he ended up doing what he does.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Pleasure.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
It's amazing. John.

Speaker 3 (00:05):
How did you get into the business of writing and
producing plays?

Speaker 1 (00:09):
Well, you know, I got into the business basically. It
was just a god given uh I guess urge or
a talent that I had. You know. I started when
I was about twelve years old with my brothers and sisters.
You know, you'll hear a song and somehow I set
my parents down and created my own little video, so
to speak of it. So it's been going on since then,

(00:31):
and then from high school to get into those stage
plays and then I'll never forget it. He's the godfather
of the gospel stage play market. Michael Matthews. I seen
one of his plays for the first time at the
Regal Theater. I was in the last seat, way at
the top, and when I saw that play, it changed

(00:51):
my life and I said I had to do it.
So three years later I wrote my own play, wrote, direct,
and produced and next thing I know, already Hinting, which
is one of the pillar pastors here in city of Chicago,
came up to me and told me said, this is
your calling. You make sure you keep doing it. And
it hasn't stopped since.

Speaker 3 (01:10):
Wow, wow, twelve years old just imagine people are outside playing,
having fun, jumping, role playing, hopscotch ball, softball, all these
kinds of things. And here John is actually coming up
with his own stage, play writing and producing and directing.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
So it was in.

Speaker 3 (01:30):
Him in the beginning, in the beginning to do this.
And so when you're destined to do something, it's already
in you.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Yeah, exactly, yeah, and you can't get away from it.
Just activated.

Speaker 3 (01:41):
Yes, it just activated, yes, and move forward in it absolutely,
no matter what obstacles, no matter what they say us.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
Right, that's a lot of them, and.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
They always have something to say.

Speaker 3 (01:52):
But what I like about naysayers, what they do for
us is they help us to go into our next
Every time they something that we cannot do, we actually
do it.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
Absolutely.

Speaker 3 (02:04):
We show them that we can do anything, yes, right, anything.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
And we know through Christ we could do anything but fail.

Speaker 3 (02:11):
And so I love that about people that I connecting
with right now, I'm finding that they have a tenacity in.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
Them that they never stop.

Speaker 3 (02:22):
Yes, right, even when they're asleep, they're actually dreaming about
what they're going to do.

Speaker 1 (02:27):
Now, that's sad, and that's the worst part of it
sometimes because you don't sleep, you know, you're you're activating
all four hours a day because while you're so, you know,
I don't have regular dreams. I have dreams about what
I can and what I can't do or try not
to do, a run into So it's funny, it's funny.
But you know what, always say this about the naysayers.
I never give those that energy to them because I

(02:50):
feel like this they balance the world. You know, you
need that negative to for that positive. So I'm okay with.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
Them negative and positive numbers.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
Especially when it's greater. That's right. That's right.

Speaker 2 (03:06):
And so you never give up and you keep pressing
and you keep moving forward.

Speaker 1 (03:10):
That's right.

Speaker 3 (03:10):
And this is what makes me so elated just to
have you in the studio. Thank you, because I know
me meeting you is going to take me somewhere.

Speaker 1 (03:19):
And vice versa.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
I believe this, I really believe.

Speaker 3 (03:22):
When I met mister Earl Winfrey again, I knew there
was something that we had to do, but I was
waiting on him to say.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
Let's do that.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
Let's do it.

Speaker 3 (03:32):
And that's when intellectual radio just begin to form. And
so tell us about your everyday life life, as John Ruffin,
when you are creating on a typical day.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
Well, you know, I think I have the most unorthodox
style when it comes down to writing, you know, because
even though I write and so far like that, I
don't like to write. You know. It's like at the
last hour that I write. And you know, a lot
of people don't get it that all my plays are
written in three days. You know. I don't do rough
drafts or anything. I just do it and come on

(04:06):
out there and and and present into the world. So
that's how it goes, you know. So my my everyday
life really is fulfilled through you know, I'm married, you know,
with children, have three sons and a daughter, you know
who I raise and make sure I put that energy
with them, you know, because you know a lot of

(04:28):
times we get so caught up in our careers and
all our creativity and we forget about the ones that
we really need to put that time into. So and
I and and that's why I'm so proud of my sons.
And you know, full rise scholarship to college. So you know,
those are the that's the every day that's the real
everyday life of John Ruffing. You know, I'm in rehearsal

(04:50):
every day, you know, every day in rehearsal, always seeking
that next big talent or that next big show that
you know, because God, you know how God is, He
doesn't sleep or summer, and he just keeps those ideas coming.
And so now it's at a point I have to
try to find the time in order to do what

(05:11):
He's placed in my spirit to do, you know. And
that's the hard part, because yeah, we can do it,
but sometimes you need the people to do it, you know.
So you know, everything that He gives you ain't the
right time to do it at this, you know, same time.
So it's just ciphering that and out that twenty two
years you kind of find out when, what, where and why.

Speaker 3 (05:29):
Yes, yes, because he can give us something today and
it goes along with something ten years from now, and
then we can't forget what he gave us today. And
of course the Holy goals to bring it back to
our remembrance and then we'll put it all together and
roll it out. And I noticed that I tell writers
don't throw out anything. If I say delete something from

(05:53):
this particular manuscript does not mean to throw it away
and burn it up. It means to save it to
another five Because somewhere along the line, you're gonna need
that information and it'll it might be the end of
another book, or the middle or the beginning. And so
when you create, and I like how you said you

(06:14):
really don't sleep because you're busy creating, and I find
myself I have to force myself to go to sleep.
I say, Kathy, go to sleep, because you have to
go to your daytime job. You still have your that's
your resource, so you can pay your bills. And I
have to keep it in perspective that even though I'm creative,

(06:35):
I can't just let it take over until I get
to a certain place, to the right time. And the
time will come. And you don't have to be impatient
about it. You don't have to be anxious about it.
The Bible says to be anxious for nothing, but in everything,
through prayer and supplication, make your request known. So my
time is spent with praying Lord, this is my supplication,

(06:57):
this is what I'm looking for to manifest, and believe
it or not, whatever we desire, it's his desire.

Speaker 1 (07:04):
That's right, that's right.

Speaker 3 (07:05):
And so the Bible says, to delight yourself in Him,
and he'll give you the desires of your heart.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
So your time should be spent with delighting.

Speaker 3 (07:14):
You can delight by worship, by praise, you can delight
by dancing, you can delight by land before him silently.
You could delight yourself by just like sitting with your
significant other, with your family, And that's how you delight
yourself in correct. And so I'm excited just about your
typical day and that you included your children and you

(07:36):
imparted in them what you have in you, which is
really from your heavenly father.

Speaker 2 (07:43):
His DNA. So you just rolled it on over to
the next generation.

Speaker 1 (07:47):
Yes, right, I want them to be able to have
that avenue. You know, never be afraid to try it
because you know, I'm from the typical traditional family. You
go to high school, go to college, get your degree,
and you work in that field. You know. However, you
know I have a business management degree. You know, I

(08:09):
don't have anything. And there my mother, they wouldn't have
sold into invested in the arts, you know, and say
what you're gonna take your chance at that? No? So
you know, so after I got my degree out of
out of college, I was, you know, full steam ahead
you know with the business. That's what I wanted to do.
Corporate until I found out, you know, man, I was

(08:31):
this passion that I had for creating and reaching the
masses was so overwhelming and so fulfilling that it wasn't
enough when I was at the corporate office, you know.
And don't get me wrong, the corporate office was, like
you said, my resource at the time. And I remember
this past job, the last job I had four years ago.

(08:53):
I don't care what who they were letting go. I
don't care how they were downsizing. I was the one
that would never get don size. And I told somebody
on the job, I said, you know what, they won't
be able to downsize until it's time for me to go.
And I said, when it's time for me to go,
that's when I'm going full time into what I was
supposed to be doing. So when they called me in

(09:13):
the office and told me, you know what, John, we're
about to let you go, I started laughing and they said,
what's wrong? And I said, well, you know what I said,
because you couldn't do this unless it was time, you know.
And after I got my certain pact. Course, when you
get home that blow, it settles like okay, woo, I
don't have any means I don't have anything but this

(09:34):
little severance package. What are you going to do from there?
And I will tell you this, Kathy. Immediately I made
more money within six months than I did it than
a two years working on the job. You know. Immediately
I received the DVD deal, and immediately I received the
television network deal. Immediately it was I got laid off

(09:57):
in June and I got the deal in July. And
it has not stopped since. And it keeps going. It
keeps going. And that's why I get so sometimes when
I do get discouraged, and sometimes when I do feel like,
you know, I think back and I say, you know what,
something good is about to happen. So that's when I
can encourage myself. I can pull my you know, pull

(10:19):
my own self up and say, you know what, just
stay steady. That's that's why I always say. My mother
used to always say this thing, quiet your spirit, you know,
quiet your spirit, and just settle wade in that water.
And that's what I learned about. I didn't know what
that song meant until I started going through life. And
you know, life will teach you, especially when you have
a drive and a passion for something, and it seemed

(10:42):
like the doors are being closed in your face faster
than they're being opened. But it's something about that great
big door. When it's opened, it opens up big time.
But don't get it twisted that because it opens big time,
that there's nothing hidden in the dark that's going to
try to stand and stand out there and bite you.
That's still happens, But it is what you've learned in

(11:02):
your experience that keep you to be able to walk
through the shadows of death, you know what I'm saying.
So that's why I really learned that the Bible is
something there is practical. You know what I'm saying. It's practical.
And you know how the Bibles that when you you
know that word have I hated in my heart that
I may not say, it's the word damage is stars
manifesting itself within your life. You don't have to say anything.

(11:24):
You become a human Bible walking Bible, you know. And
that's what I That's where that's where I've come to
the point. That's why I'm so encouraged, like Okay, what
am I gonna do next? And then I just do it.

Speaker 2 (11:36):
And then you just do it.

Speaker 1 (11:37):
I just do it.

Speaker 2 (11:38):
It's simple as that.

Speaker 1 (11:39):
Hey, it's gonna be simple as that.

Speaker 2 (11:41):
That's right, that's right.

Speaker 3 (11:43):
And then I like when you said no fear, no fear,
no fear, because what fear does is it cripples you,
and it stopped you from moving forward. And so at
this time, I just want to say, I prophesy right
now that what you have been destined to do will
unfold and become a reality in your life. I prophesy
that the door of confidence of what the Lord has

(12:04):
done through you will manifest in your life. You will
succeed and become great in the earth. No obstacle will
deter you from becoming what you have been born to do.
You will increase in substance and detach yourself from those
who want you to stay the same. Every day will
be a day of adventure. You will run into places
to accomplish the mission that has been set before you.

(12:27):
You will move quickly into the place to gather up
the remnants of what others left that have gone before you,
so that you may use it as you go.

Speaker 2 (12:36):
Into your next.

Speaker 3 (12:38):
Time will not matter because you are doing what will
cause others.

Speaker 2 (12:43):
Listen, let me pause what to say? What time is it?

Speaker 3 (12:47):
Because of this great responsibility that is upon your life.
You will become greatly wealthy because it comes with the territory.
Be observant and villigent while you walk in this particular place.
Do not fall prey to what others want you to do,
if the result of it will cause destruction. Walk in
your destiny and walk it out. And that's actually.

Speaker 2 (13:11):
What you have been doing.

Speaker 3 (13:13):
You have been walking out your destiny and never letting
anything stop you. What I like about it when you
say it's time, I almost asked you to grab a
napkin for me, because tears almost begin to roll down
my face. Just the fact of the matter is, I
recall the firm letting people go several times since I've

(13:34):
been there, and they've been letting them go left and
right and right and left.

Speaker 2 (13:38):
They've even let go some good people.

Speaker 3 (13:40):
And it doesn't matter about your skills, it doesn't matter
about you being on time every day. When it's time
to downsize, they have to downside. And so when they
tell you it's time, I can see me right now
and having a party because I know already that it'll
be time for me to go into what God has
destined me to do.

Speaker 2 (14:01):
That is not my ending.

Speaker 1 (14:03):
That's not your ending.

Speaker 3 (14:04):
That is somewhere that I'm passing through. You know, it's
not my firm, it's their firm. That's it, you know.
And I had to realize that. You know, at first
I would have been broken up. But now and I
see that there is something greater. There's always something, It's
always something greater. Now, I want to ask you about
your casting call. When you get people to come in

(14:26):
to audition. How long does it really take to get
things set and in place and to pick the people
the characters that you need.

Speaker 2 (14:36):
How long can you tell us how long it takes?

Speaker 1 (14:38):
Well, you know, pretty much, each each show that I
do requires a different amount of time. So it depends
on how many people I'm casting. Typically three days I
would do a curtain call casting call three days, three days.
I sit there and do it pretty much. I can
kind of the first few minutes I know if you

(15:00):
could play the role or not, you know, but I
go through that about three days. Yeah, and it's and
trust me, it's like American Idol in there. I've seen
it all. I've seen it and heard it all, so
you know, you'll be surprised what you can experience in
three minutes of somebody on stage. You know what people

(15:21):
would do to try to get a role. You know,
it's funny, it's super funny.

Speaker 2 (15:25):
It's super funny, it is.

Speaker 3 (15:26):
And so you're like, I have other people with you
selecting or giving advice to that particular character.

Speaker 1 (15:34):
Well, you know what they do is they sit down.
They're more from me for counsel because sometimes you know,
after you see eighty ninety people, they all start looking
and sounding the same. Sometimes you have to step away
and trust the people that are around you. And you know,
just to say that, you know, as a segue, it's
very important when you on this journey to do something

(15:56):
passionate or creative. It's who you have around you that
keeps you up because not all the time are you
on the mountain. You know, it's a lot of times
you're gonna hit the valley. But in that valley experience,
that's where you know you need that errand to hold
you up. You know, you can't. It's tough to be
the man or the woman at all times. But you
don't supposed to be. You know, we all supposed to

(16:18):
work together and as an island, you know, as one
you know, and you know the holy ghost guy has
his job as well as Jesus as well as God.
You know what I'm saying. So I do the same thing.
And it took me a while to get into that,
to be able to delegate. Now you know, it's it's
I have some great people working around me. And even
the times when I get discouraged, Katherine, when I feel

(16:39):
like just giving it all up, because trust me, they
probably hear me say that every two months, two or
three months. I'm retired, you know, but right when I
give it feel like giving it up. God always sending
that person to be able to lift me up in
that area that I was weak, you know, where I
need strength. And what I had to learn to do,
what's to listen and to quiet my spirit down and

(17:03):
to learn to say, okay, God, you sending me these people.
You know, I don't know everything, and that's the that's
the best part of it. I don't want to know everything.
I don't want to be one of the smartest one
in the group because you never get anywhere, you never
you never get anywhere being the smartest one in the group.
But so and that's what I've learned, Kathy is be

(17:24):
able to delegate and give it, give the job, and
knowing that and trusting that it's going to be done
by the time I get there. And you know what,
it's been sweet success even with this going into the
U the casting call, you know, it was so funny
everything I've gone through over the years. I decided to
put together a reality show on it, and it got

(17:45):
and God bless us getting picked up. Can you believe
it's something that's just part of it, you know? And
I wrote the treatment for it, and they went crazy
over us, and they wanted different networks wanted. So we
start the shooting on Monday. You know. So, like I said,
I just try it. If it works, it works. If
it don't, it doesn't. At least I know it's out

(18:06):
of my spirit. I done tried it. I know it.
It wasn't something I could do, or it was something
I could do it, and I just wasn't interested anymore.
So you know, that's how it works.

Speaker 2 (18:13):
What I like.

Speaker 3 (18:14):
About trying it this time. It might not work or
it might work. And now if it doesn't work, at
least what happens is when it happens again, it will
be greater, you go. You know, so, so this time,
I might try it and it might not go over well,
but the next time it'll blow up.

Speaker 1 (18:35):
Kathy, Love me or Leave Me? My first play that
was on DVD when I I did that play over
ten years ago, ten years ago, when they offered it
and I was done with it. And so when they
asked me they were looking for a play to put
on TV, and I gave it to him. They loved it.
They read ten years ago. They thinking that. Everybody thinking

(18:56):
that's brand new work. I'm like, that's ten years ago.
I did that when I was just happy to be
at home and roll it out and boom it hit.
That's the biggest one. And it's sold over, you know,
so many. I think it's at fifteen million now, you know,
and it's it's just a beautiful thing. So you know,
I tell everybody, don't throw your stuff away on because
somebody else say, well it ain't good or what's not

(19:17):
good enough? Please, you know what I'm saying. You keep on.
If you know it, it's gonna happen.

Speaker 2 (19:22):
Yes, if you know it, it's going to have to happen.
And the energy that you put behind knowing it, that's it.
No matter how many people say it's not gonna work.
It's not gonna work. It's not gonna work.

Speaker 3 (19:32):
You just have this particular energy that says, I do
not care what you say. It is going to happen,
and it's going to work. You know, John, I like
to do this. I like to put something together and
I tell people, you guess what I'm getting ready to do.
Then I tell them what I'm getting ready to do,
and then I roll it out.

Speaker 1 (19:50):
That's it.

Speaker 2 (19:51):
And what it does is it shocked some.

Speaker 3 (19:53):
Of them because they can't believe that I said it
and it's actually happening.

Speaker 1 (19:58):
That's right.

Speaker 3 (19:58):
I cannot be down. I feel like Jeremiah when the
word was caught up in his bones. I cannot shut
down on telling the world about the Word of God.
You can't put me behind four walls. You can't put
me at a podium and think that is going to
be it. I have to broadcast it to the entire

(20:22):
world about what the Lord is doing and what he
has done. And it's amazing how you will get into
the church and you'll have these other people that think
they're so big, and what they'll do is try to
make you think you're not called. We were born for this.
We were born for this. I didn't come here just
to fill up space. I came to spread the Gospel

(20:45):
of Jesus Christ. And because of that, I can't rest
on that. I have to do it. I tried, John, Look,
I tried to go in every place I could in
the world that would have wiped me out, and I
could not get wiped out. I decided I better do
this right because it was a tugget and a pulling

(21:09):
and I could not just say I'm not gonna do it.

Speaker 2 (21:13):
I'm doing what i have been born to do.

Speaker 1 (21:16):
And there is so much more, so much more.

Speaker 2 (21:21):
Yeah, we think this is big.

Speaker 3 (21:23):
Just imagine, Oh I don't you know, because the Bible
says he can do more than what we can ask
or think. And so whatever I'm thinking and whatever I'm imagining, it's.

Speaker 2 (21:34):
Bigger than that. I can see big things.

Speaker 1 (21:38):
Oh you'll tell you. And that's it, you know, it says,
you know, even even driving it see a lot of
people think, Okay, well I just woke up and started
doing this.

Speaker 4 (21:47):
Now.

Speaker 1 (21:48):
I research, I do my homework. I asked questions, and
I listen to those who have made it. You know,
a lot of times people jump out there yeah, because
you could wake up with a good idea, don't mean
it's the best idea, and you know, and a lot
of times because you have you know a lot of
times they you know, people come up to me and say, hey,
you know I'm doing this, and I say, well, you

(22:09):
know what, don't look at because I do a play
and you see one of my plays and you say
that anybody can do this. No, I just make it
look easy because I'm anointed to do it. There's a
difference than just having you know, it's anointed, having the
anointed to do something, to just then just be jumping
out of your head and doing it. And with that,
even being anointed to do it, I had to follow up.

(22:32):
I had to watch so many plays. I had to
go to so many plays. I had to make sure
that you know, it's just a knack for seeing what
you're seeing, and everybody just don't have that knack. And
you know what, I don't take that for granted. So
when I see people just, oh, well, I do this.
I'm a playwright. God bless you. You know what I'm saying.
But however, I know what it takes here to get there.

(22:53):
You know, I don't want my play just to remain
in Chicago. You know, I don't believe I was supposed
to just be a local playwright. You know, I never had.
I believe that. I used to get offended within myself
to hear local, you know, and so and that wasn't
that I was cocky. It's just that I saw greater.
You know, I always seem greater, never to just be here,
but at the same time, not put the ones down

(23:15):
who are trying to make it. At the same time,
help lift them up. Because I told God, if you
helped me get up, because I remember talking to a
playwright that's real big out there, and I talked to
him fiend and said, man, I got this great show. Man,
I'm a man, I'm man. Everybody says my place. Said well,
if it's that good, then you would make it and
hung the phone up on me, you know. And from
that point it hurt. But did it made sense? It did?

(23:38):
It made a lot of sense. It hurt me to
this degree is that, you.

Speaker 2 (23:41):
Know what, He's not my source exactly.

Speaker 1 (23:44):
So you know what, when people ask me, who do
you give credit to? Who helped you? I can't give
nobody else credit but God, because you know what. He
tutored me through this because I was like, no one
was out there doing it. I was by myself doing them.
I was putting CDs together and putting commercials together because
I always you like the big commercials. I ain't like
those little, you know, cheesy church commercials. I didn't like that.

(24:06):
I like the cheesy church flyers. I wanted mine to
be out there like Boom. I used to tell them,
if you put my flyer, if you put my flyer
in the club along with another, a real club flyer,
they can I don't want them to know what they're
gonna get. I want them to grab my flyer. Come there,
Come there with the guards down, and be surprised. You know.
I don't want to come the usual way. I don't
want you to know that it's a gospel play until

(24:28):
you get there, until you get the message. You know.
But that's what it's been. You know. You learn your
own niche, you learn your own style, and you stick
with it. That's it. I don't care what nobody else
is doing. I don't care if they putting on fifty dresses.
I don't have to do that, because you know why
if that's not John Ruffing. John Ruffing would make his
own has his own style. And what God got for

(24:49):
John goes has for John, not for anybody else.

Speaker 3 (24:52):
Yes, yes, yes, And you have to do what is
in you your niche, find your niche and get out there.
And the anointing breaks every yo the anointing. There's a
breaker's anointing right now that's on the air, And this
breaker's anointing is breaking down everything that's in your way
from moving forward into the place that you need to

(25:15):
be in. You listen to me, radio listeners, It is
so important that you understand that you operate in anything
that you're doing under the anointing, because what the anointing
does is it teaches, it nurture, it consoles, it guides,
it leads, It shows you things that are in hidden places. Oh,

(25:38):
you will find information within yourself that will help you
to take you to where you're going. If you're doing
it in yourself and not doing it in the Lord,
it will fail. I'm telling you well, what you do
for Christ will last. And I'm glad that John said
that he would take his flyer and he would create

(25:59):
it and put it in the club just like the
club flyer because what the church needs to understand is
the world is in us, so you really can't come
out of the world if the world is in you.
You just need to know how to operate in the world.
And as you're operating in the world, you're grabbing those
that are in the club, that are in the world,

(26:19):
that are in places they might not or should not
be in, and you're drawing them. Because what God does
is he.

Speaker 2 (26:27):
Draws us by his loving kindness. Oh he drew me.

Speaker 3 (26:31):
He didn't come and say, Kathy, look you better come
from where you are.

Speaker 2 (26:35):
He just kept saying I love you, I love you,
I love you.

Speaker 3 (26:40):
Those words just caused me to run to him because
we all look for somebody to really love us, and
he is the only one that has true love.

Speaker 2 (26:51):
I'm here to tell you his word will not fail.

Speaker 3 (26:54):
And so that anointing that he covers you with it
causes big things to happen.

Speaker 2 (26:59):
For great things, great things, and before.

Speaker 3 (27:02):
You know it, great doors are open and you cannot
listen to those that are have gone before you.

Speaker 2 (27:09):
That won't encourage you.

Speaker 3 (27:10):
In Hollywood, I hear you might get a thousand nose
before you get one. Yes, And so if you stop
when you get five hundred nose.

Speaker 2 (27:20):
Then you've given up.

Speaker 3 (27:21):
That's it, you know, But you keep going, You keep
going until you get that. Yes, you don't know where
you're gonna end up at. You have an idea, but
you can't even.

Speaker 1 (27:31):
Imagine it exactly.

Speaker 2 (27:33):
It's bigger.

Speaker 3 (27:34):
It's I can see a house with an indoor swimming pool.
I can see because sometimes I just want to swim
and I don't want to have to go.

Speaker 1 (27:44):
I just want to say, I'm going to the pool,
which this whole water it's mine. Throw a duck in there.
It's man, that's what I want.

Speaker 3 (27:55):
That's what I want, And I want to make sure
it has glass walls. And even though we know that
our glass ceilings are going to become wooden floors, but
I do. I want to endoor a pool that you
can see outside, that you can see the sky. You know,
my thoughts are bigger, bigger than where I'm at right now,
you know, And I know that God is going to

(28:16):
give me what I need to get there.

Speaker 2 (28:19):
I just know this.

Speaker 3 (28:20):
I woke up knowing this as a little girl, that
I needed a relationship with God. Something in me said, Kathy,
you can't just have relationships with people, you need to
have one with God. I was the first one in
the house to go to church. I knew there was
something about this Jesus that I needed to take with

(28:41):
me to school, to work when I get home. Because
you know, in life, you're gonna deal with difficult situations,
You're gonna deal with all kinds of things that make
you want to give up. But when you know God,
when you know him, oh it's life changes.

Speaker 2 (28:59):
You know. He takes me into places that I have
never gone before.

Speaker 3 (29:03):
I've probably been there because my life was predestined, but
to me, I've never gone there before. And I'm like, wow, God,
you brought me out here. So what's my purpose out here?

Speaker 2 (29:14):
God tell me?

Speaker 3 (29:14):
Because it has to have a purpose, have to, it
has to, and it has. The purpose is for others,
not just for me.

Speaker 1 (29:20):
That's it.

Speaker 3 (29:22):
So when you have in mind that you're here for
other people, then you can do what you've been called
to do.

Speaker 1 (29:28):
Absolutely absolutely.

Speaker 3 (29:30):
Can you give us some directing tips. I could just
see you now directing. Are you a mean director? Or
are you do you throw things?

Speaker 1 (29:40):
I don't throw things. I am stern. You know, you
know you know what I go through different periods where
you know, sometimes I'm real laid back. Sometimes I am
actually uh, you know, I can be focused, you know,
especially when we get closer to the show. Everyone know

(30:00):
that focus face and you know, and that focus face
mean a We're not here to play. We got a
job to do. And because you know, you got to
understand something. The show isn't for me. It's for the
people that pay to see us. So we owe them.
We owe them the best show ever. And that's what
I said, because we can't take other people's time and
money for granted. So yes, when it comes down to focus, yes,

(30:23):
I am mean no, because I like to keep it humorous.
I like to keep it fun. Like I always said this,
if I want to work a job, I go back
to corporate. So I don't keep it. I got to
keep it light, you know. So I'm having the best
time of my life right now.

Speaker 3 (30:38):
Yes, yes, I could imagine you know what you're having
just creating something. It makes me just want to do more. Yes,
I'm not stopping right here. This is not the end all,
it's not I'm not stopping right here.

Speaker 2 (30:54):
And I love this.

Speaker 3 (30:56):
There is a play color purple yes, and color purple
is the one that will be playing at the end
of this month.

Speaker 1 (31:05):
Yes, July twenty seventh through the twenty ninth at the
hair Washington Cultural Center.

Speaker 2 (31:10):
Yes, yes, yes, and I love that facility. Yes, yes,
it's beautiful. You know what I want to do.

Speaker 3 (31:18):
We'll take a break and return with more information about
The Color Purple, a stage play production that will be
playing at the Harold Washington Cultural Center.

Speaker 4 (31:27):
Yes, Hey, don't.

Speaker 1 (31:39):
You love me? Don't you love.

Speaker 2 (31:53):
I've got my shirt. I can't feel her now.

Speaker 1 (31:58):
She may not be.

Speaker 4 (32:01):
But she's still mine.

Speaker 1 (32:03):
I love.

Speaker 4 (32:08):
She still love me. I've gotten my children.

Speaker 1 (32:16):
I can't hold them now.

Speaker 4 (32:18):
They may not be here, but they still mine.

Speaker 2 (32:23):
And I know.

Speaker 1 (32:27):
They no way still love it.

Speaker 2 (32:33):
Hey, not my house.

Speaker 4 (32:36):
It's still keeps a cold down. Got my chest when
my body can't pull down. Got my hands do with
things like they're stalls to.

Speaker 2 (32:50):
Show in my heart.

Speaker 1 (32:51):
To the pup, got.

Speaker 2 (32:55):
My to so they don't she is gone now they
seem more a thing.

Speaker 4 (33:02):
Really, I'm gonna take a difference.

Speaker 1 (33:09):
I'm gonna hold my head.

Speaker 4 (33:11):
I want to put your sad back and looking friding
me for the presence of bad when they walk back,
I'm born to see see I'm hat inside everything, then

(33:36):
me to get a fashion pfe with a love inside
ban saying.

Speaker 1 (33:45):
As top and the top, the street and down.

Speaker 4 (33:50):
Thank Papa, you say, And.

Speaker 2 (33:53):
I'm kid so the easy heart and the leave, but
most of all.

Speaker 3 (34:08):
Loving who I re.

Speaker 4 (34:19):
I'm beautiful, Yes, I'm I'm beautiful.

Speaker 3 (34:44):
Yes sure, Ury, Thanks John, you're still here in the studies,
I am, and I.

Speaker 2 (34:59):
Am so happy to have you.

Speaker 3 (35:01):
You know, we were talking about the color purple before
we took a break, and.

Speaker 2 (35:06):
That was one of the songs that is on in
the play. Yes it is, and so who's singing this song?

Speaker 1 (35:13):
Well? In the play to Shika Benson is playing Seay
and you have to see her transformations because she's a
lighter hue, the lighter complexion African American. But we're going
to make her a darker hue, darker complexion African American.
I mean, it's a complete transformation. We have a great

(35:36):
makeup team and they're really doing it, changing their hair, texture, everything.
So it's gonna be great.

Speaker 2 (35:43):
I can't wait to see this play now.

Speaker 3 (35:45):
The play is airing July twenty seventh and twenty eighth,
starting at seven pm.

Speaker 1 (35:51):
Yeah. Actually the twenty seven through the twenty.

Speaker 3 (35:53):
Ninth, right now, the twenty ninth. It starts at five o'clock, yes, right,
that Sunday, yes right, So that gives people time to
come out of church.

Speaker 1 (36:00):
That's it.

Speaker 2 (36:01):
That gives people time to even come before they go
to the club.

Speaker 1 (36:06):
Exactly or coming, yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2 (36:08):
It's for everyone, exactly.

Speaker 3 (36:09):
It's for everyone to come out. This Color Purple is
something great. And I just noticed that the things that
you're doing in this.

Speaker 2 (36:19):
Particular play is not exactly the way the Color Purple was.

Speaker 1 (36:25):
Not the movie.

Speaker 2 (36:26):
Not the movie.

Speaker 1 (36:26):
It's the Broadway show. Well, it's the show that tour
you know, the one Oprah did you know at the
I think it was at the Oriental Theater or one
of those. Yeah, so it's that touring play that we're doing. Yeah,
so we jumped out there. We have a nine piece band,
We have over sixty seven people in this cast, full costume,

(36:48):
full makeup, light, sound, you name it. The set is beautiful,
so it's gonna be We're not sparing any expense for this.
We want the people when they come to this show
to have an experience, you know, the same experience we
had with Dreamgirls, you know, and like you know, speaking
of dream Girls, we had over thirteen fourteen thousand people

(37:08):
came to see dream Girls, you know when we put
it out there. So we are only holding Color Purple
for one weekend right now, you know, because the tickets
are going so fast, so you never know, we might
have to add another weekend to it.

Speaker 3 (37:20):
That's right, yes, right, I better get my ticket because
I want to be there, I'm.

Speaker 2 (37:25):
Telling you on one of those nights.

Speaker 3 (37:27):
Yes, yes, and so I'm gonna have to get my
ticket and others get your ticket today by logging on
to www dot John Ruffin dot com.

Speaker 1 (37:37):
That's correct, that's right.

Speaker 2 (37:38):
I've been on your website and this really is a
nice sight.

Speaker 1 (37:41):
Thank you, thank you very much.

Speaker 2 (37:43):
Yes, yes, and you have to get your tickets. You
can't wait.

Speaker 3 (37:46):
You need to call your friends, your family, your neighbors,
find out if they want to go with Make it
a group thing.

Speaker 1 (37:52):
There you go.

Speaker 2 (37:53):
That's right. Come out in tens and hundreds and thousands,
you can.

Speaker 1 (37:57):
That's right. That's right.

Speaker 2 (37:59):
It is so wonderful now, dream Girls.

Speaker 3 (38:03):
I heard about it when I was living in the
city and people were telling me we're going to see
this play, We're going to see this play.

Speaker 2 (38:09):
Can you tell me more about dream Girls?

Speaker 1 (38:11):
Well, you know dream Girls. We did the Broadways show.
We did the Broadways show. What was that? March started
in March and I had never seen a Broadway show
of dream Girls. All I had was the movie. But
then when I got the script from the production company,
it was a totally different script than the movie. As

(38:34):
you know, when you're doing the Broadway shows, compared to
the TV, the TV adapts it, you know, television adapts it.
So with stage is something totally different. And when we
did it, we were left out there into how to
put it together. And let me tell you something. We
pieced that play together, pulled this and pulled out on
experiences and let me tell you, it was a hit

(38:55):
by the time we finished. And with the best part
I like about it, we create our own stars within Chicago.
We didn't call any names, We didn't bring any names
from our doors China store. Nineteen year old led Fie
played Fie White and let me tell you, every night
she's saying, left the people standing by intermission. So I

(39:16):
love that kind of thing because sixty, over sixty people.
I gave a job to over sixty people. I gave
an experience to over sixty people. I was able to
pour out what God has given me over the twenty
two years and give them that moment. You know what
I'm saying that a lot of times they would have
never gotten it, you know, people that were in the
lower part of the city, who had never been on stage,

(39:37):
who didn't know what a light was, you know, except
for what they saying, you know, to give them that
backstage experience, to give them all of that. And like
you said earlier, it's not for us, and that's what
I realized. I said, that's what it's for for me,
to open doors, to provide income for people to be

(39:58):
able to enhance their passion. So it's not for me.
But the whole point about it do I always ask him,
do you all want it? You want it before I
can give it to you, because I ain't gonna give
you nothing that you don't want, you know. And it's
been one of those. So and it's just growing. Where
I started the production company a performing an artist group
called Theater forty seven, and so Dreamgirls was our first show,

(40:21):
and I coined a series called From Broadway to Bronxville.
As you know, Harold Washington is in Bronxville. So and
that's what we do. We take shows and we bring
that Broadway experience to Bronxville. And so that's where we
are right now. And this would be our second show.
So I think we did pretty good for our freshman
project to have over fourteen thousand people come.

Speaker 2 (40:41):
I do believe that.

Speaker 1 (40:43):
Yes, I'm very happy about that.

Speaker 2 (40:45):
Yes, because without the people, yeah, it was.

Speaker 1 (40:48):
You can't do anything just me and my auntie and
my mama. Now, so that's fun, that's so fun. Exactly.

Speaker 2 (40:53):
So you've expanded, yes, at the first show.

Speaker 1 (40:57):
Yeah, after the first show, now we have a you cast.
So just think seventy more people that's added to the theater.
Forty seven experience dancers, actors, singers, the whole night. So
when you come to a show, because everybody like a
different aspect of the performing arts. Some people like dance,
I'm like singing, something like acting. I want to give

(41:17):
you the complete experience. So wherever you are, whoever you are,
you can come to a theater forty seven a j
ruffin production and know that you know what it was fulfilling.
I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna cry, I'm going to enjoy
the dancing. And I have two choreographers in the show,
Divanna and Divanna Edwards and Wink. And when I say
they choreographed this show, oh my god, it's beautiful. So

(41:41):
I'm enjoying the experience because you should see us in rehearsal.
It's not like a rehearsal. We're running to rehearsal because
we have so much fun there. We have so much fun.
And I just turned forty one this year, this month,
this week. Action man. Yes, and I'm enjoying and I'm
enjoying this second half of the life of my life.

(42:01):
I thought I would be so tired of this by now,
but I'm really it's a newfound love.

Speaker 3 (42:07):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (42:07):
Wow, it's good to know you're forty one years old
and this all started at twelve years old.

Speaker 3 (42:13):
Really, when you were in the room at twelve years
old and out all of a sudden, Now at forty
one one, you know, I'm loving this.

Speaker 2 (42:21):
I am excited. I'm elated. Oh my goodness. You know,
I can see me now trying to audition and he's say,
didn't make it, didn't make it.

Speaker 1 (42:31):
I won't say anything, but I can.

Speaker 2 (42:33):
Go behind the scene and write some stuff.

Speaker 1 (42:36):
Maybe exactly.

Speaker 3 (42:37):
That's what's so good about it, and that you're giving
positions to people, you know, and you're pulling out their
talent and their gifting and their skill, and it's coming
out of them and it's no longer bottled up inside
of them. It's coming out and manifesting in the earth.
And that's what it's all about, taking what people have

(42:59):
within them and pulling.

Speaker 1 (43:01):
It out and just right, and teaching them leadership skills.
You know. I have some playwrights that I mentor instead
of just saying, hey, you know what, I'm gonna do
your play one day, or this is what you do,
I said, you know what, You're gonna be my assistant director.
Now you can see me and watch me. You can
you can shadow me. You can see how I handle things,
how I handle things badly, how I handle things great.

(43:23):
You can find how to build yourself up in it
and find your own style. And when I tell you
they just sit there, they sit there. And some of
them I have them mark the script, have them do this,
Have them do the little small things, because I tell
them this. If you're not willing to do the small things,
you can't be ready for the big things. You know
because I had to do it. I in turn for
like three years working for no money just to learn

(43:47):
the experience. How I learned how to work everything in
the theater, from the sound to the lights to everything.
So now I probably can't put a technical name on it,
but I can tell you what I want. You know,
So you got to learn. You have to put your
that's your education. It's putting that time in, I mean
volunteering because everything, because like I tell them, what should
I pay you for? If I gotta teach you. If

(44:09):
I'm gonna pay you, you're gonna know coming here knowing
how to do it exactly, especially when you're doing like
directing and all that. The performers always get paid, you know,
because anyone do all the gruntwork.

Speaker 3 (44:20):
But I have a lot of interns too, that's right,
and they can learn a lot from you. You know
what I like about just looking at you walking and
the person behind you walking in your shadow, you know,
grabbing your hotels and learning everything that you know, and
even like you said, turning what you've done bad into

(44:41):
good by them not doing that, and that they can
see that you're human and that we make mistakes. Absolutely
don't get everything right. But what I like about it
is you stepped out in it. There you go, You
step out in it, no matter how you might mess up,
how it might not turn out right, step in it anyway.

(45:01):
But then the person behind you. You know, I have
some people say can I ahma bear you, And I
don't think it's time yet. I just I say no,
you know right now, because I'm here, I'm there, and
I'm everywhere. When the time comes for me to be
in one particular place would be a great time to
have someone come in and come behind me.

Speaker 2 (45:23):
But while I'm here,