The Secret Ruths of Island House closes Aug. 5 Nebunele Theater
	Seattleplays.com review By Tom Scanlon
		This is a heart-breaking, skillfully acted show about aging -- nothing terribly new to say, just strong portrayals of humans at their most vulnerable, with fading memories, shrinking lives.. . The cast of three -- Annalisa Derr, Claytie Mason, and Alissa Mortenson -- play retirement home characters, all named Ruth. We hear audio recordings of the actual Ruths, often after the cast has acted out scenes that the real people describe.     The actors often wear masks, giving them blank, even stunned looks. Mason is particularly skillful in her mannerisms, a slightly shaking, palsied hand running counter to her character's cynical, abrasive attitude.      The stage is stark, just a few chairs, the cast dressed in sterile whites; a dream-like, perhaps even Godot-like atmosphere, where there is great anticipation, yet nothing really happens.       Director Cecelia Frye uses flash-back scenes from the characters' younger days to provide energy to the show; while she does succeed, the girlish running around gets a little tiresome.       Otherwise, Frye's direction is artful and sharp, with intensely choreographed movements that are precisely achieved.         At just under an hour, this show is paced well, and feels just right, a satisfying experience -- and terrifying, as it awaits us all.