"Tiny Beautiful Things" shares a story of hope and healing
Margo Ruggiero plays Sugar, a woman who anonymously runs an advice column. Photos by Grace Roche
The three letter writers gather around Ruggiero's character as she shares advice. 
Stephanie Lawrence's letter writer perches on a couch as she explains her situation to Sugar. 
Sugar ponders how to answer an influx of letters. 
Sugar shares a story with one of the letter writers.
Margo Ruggiero plays Sugar, a woman who anonymously runs an advice column. Photos by Grace Roche
The three letter writers gather around Ruggiero's character as she shares advice.
Stephanie Lawrence's letter writer perches on a couch as she explains her situation to Sugar.
Sugar ponders how to answer an influx of letters.
Sugar shares a story with one of the letter writers.
MARION — Even though her readers don’t know her name, Sugar spends the runtime of “Tiny Beautiful Things” revealing every other part of herself.
The Marion Art Center’s newest show tells the story of a woman who runs an advice column, anonymously answering questions about all sorts of life’s problems.
The show is directed by Jennifer Palmer and stars Margo Ruggiero as Sugar. It also features Amy-Susie Bradford, Macy Kinney and Stephanie Lawrence as letter writers and Frank Mitchell as the former column writer.
Ruggiero said as a mother and clinical social worker, part of her character felt familiar.
She said the play is about healing, and recognizing that while the specifics may vary, everyone can recognize the strength and suffering portrayed in it.
“I think there's a little something for a lot of people in it, because one of the things that I continue to learn in life is that everyone has something going on,” Ruggiero said.
Lawrence said the play is also about relationships, a reminder that things are never perfect and everyone struggles with them.
The three letter writers portray a number of characters, each one seeking Sugar’s advice or trying to get to know her better.
“All of us are living in our environment and asking these very vulnerable questions to our advice columnists, and we also want to know who is she at the same time,” Lawrence said. “We're being vulnerable and we're asking her to also be vulnerable.”
As the colder months begin and people spend more time isolated indoors, Kinney said the show can help people think about the importance of “reaching out and connecting to other people.”
Just as writing the column she writes is like a therapy session between Sugar and her readers, the show was also cathartic for its actors.
“It's been therapy being here,” Bradford said. “It's been crazy getting to hear all these stories and emotionally being a part of it, and so I'm super excited on so many levels to be a part of this show.”
Performances will be held Oct. 16-18 and 23-25. Friday and Saturday shows begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. Tickets at $23 for MAC members and $28 for nonmembers.
