Ruth and the Green Book at Center for Puppetry Arts

Chronicling a relatively unknown chapter in Civil Rights history, Ruth and the Green Book follows an African American family as they travel from Chicago to Alabama in the Jim Crow South of the 1950s. After being turned away from hotels, gas stations and restaurants, 8-year-old Ruth and her parents are introduced to "The Green Book," a pivotal publication conceived as a response to the humiliation and violence experienced by African Americans while travelling. With this guide, Ruth's family, like many others, learned where they would be welcome. Using an innovative combination of black light puppetry and animated projections inspired by the book's evocative illustrations, this collaboration between Artistic Director Jon Ludwig and author Calvin Alexander Ramsey celebrates this great book that helped pave the direction to an America where everyone is welcome. (Photo: Lerner Publishing Group)