THE SWEET LIFE: THE RUTH HUNT STORY to Hold NYC Industry Workshop
Written by Cat Rhoden Goguen and directed by Jordan Campbell, the play features an all-Kentucky cast and creative team.
Gateway Regional Arts Center will present a one-performance-only New York industry workshop of The Sweet Life: The Ruth Hunt Story on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at the Jerry Orbach Theater at The Theater Center.
The presentation marks the next stage of development for the new American play, which tells the true story of Ruth Tharp Hunt, founder of the Ruth Hunt Candy Company in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky. The workshop will be attended by invited producers, theatrical developers, licensing professionals, filmmakers, performing arts leaders and other industry professionals, along with a limited number of public ticket holders.
Written by Kentucky playwright Cat Rhoden Goguen, The Sweet Life chronicles Hunt's life and the development of the company she founded from her Mt. Sterling home in 1921. At a time when women in the United States had only recently secured the right to vote, Hunt was already building a thriving business in rural Kentucky. The play explores themes of entrepreneurship, family, faith, resilience, legacy and the cultural significance of a company that has become closely associated with Kentucky history.
The work was originally commissioned by Gateway Regional Arts Center through a project supported by the National Endowment for the Arts to document and interpret the confectionery history of Ruth Hunt Candies and its broader cultural impact. Following its world premiere in Mt. Sterling in February 2026, the production was subsequently presented at Actors Theatre of Louisville. The August 29 New York presentation is intended to introduce the play to a broader professional audience while gathering substantive feedback on the script, characters, structure and future development of the work.
A facilitated industry talkback will immediately follow the performance. Invited guests will be asked to provide candid feedback on the script, characterization, plot, pacing, structure and areas for future revision or development. Audience members will also have the opportunity to submit written feedback anonymously or confidentially. A reception will follow the talkback with the playwright, producing team, director and other members of the creative staff, providing additional opportunities for discussion about the work and its future.
Gateway Regional Arts Center is currently exploring a range of possible next steps for the production, including theatrical licensing, literary representation, touring opportunities, regional theatre productions, developmental readings, additional workshops and producing partnerships. The organization has also received preliminary interest regarding possible film adaptation.
The New York presentation will include an entirely Kentucky-based company. The cast includes Hannah Westrick, Christina McCleanhan, Nolan Fields, Juliana Moore, Daryl Thompson, Kevin Wiser, Tyler Wells, Madison McCay, Mary Jones, Becky Bishop-Priest, Raven Adams, Macy Cline, Yuming Hsu, Jennifer Woods, Leah Shao and Robert Powell, along with Willie Carr, Sara Wolfe and Lisa Honeycutt of the Barbourville area.
The production is directed by Jordan Campbell, and Jill Kohr serves as Stage Manager. The workshop is structured primarily as an industry presentation, but a limited number of tickets have been made available to the general public. Gateway Regional Arts Center chose to include public ticket holders in order to provide the creative and producing teams with live audience response during this stage of development.
The combination of invited industry professionals and paying audience members is expected to provide a broader range of feedback than is typically available in a closed developmental workshop. Audience members will also receive complimentary selections from Ruth Hunt Candies, including Blue Mondays and Woodford Reserve Bourbon Balls, and guests will be invited to attend a complimentary wine reception following the performance.
The Sweet Life: The Ruth Hunt Story has received coverage from several media outlets as the project has continued to develop beyond its original Kentucky production.
Limited $49 public tickets are available through grackentucky.org/events. Theatre, film, licensing and other entertainment-industry professionals interested in attending the workshop may request a complimentary industry invitation by emailing director@grackentucky.org.
