Tony-Winning Actress' Emotional Return to Stage After Death of Daughter and Unborn Baby
British moral philosopher Bernard Williams once said, “Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit.” That may sound like an exaggeration.
After all, can we really compare our innermost selves to the strength of steel or the imperviousness of Kevlar? Such substances seem much tougher than the human heart.
Yet when you think about it, people have overcome terrible tragedies, everything from genocides and wars to incredible personal losses. And the example of Tony-winning actress Ruthie Ann Miles reminds us that we can overcome the most horrific circumstances.
In March 2018, Miles seemed to be on top of the world. The decorated actress had won kudos for her role in “The King and I,” had a loving husband and adorable daughter, and was pregnant with her second child.
Yet her world fell to pieces in a moment. Heavy. reported that a woman lost control of her vehicle near Ninth Street and Fifth Avenue in New York.
Her vehicle plowed into parked cars and over pedestrians. Among the hurt were Lauren Lew, Ruthie Ann Miles, and the children of the two women.
Horribly, Lew’s son and Miles’ daughter died from the wreck, and Miles herself lost her unborn baby. “The pain suffered by Ruthie and [her husband] Jonathan is nearly impossible to fathom,” Ben Rubinowitz said, as reported by People.
So what can you do after such a loss? How can you hope to move on when the foundations shift and world beneath you gives way and feel as though the future is nothing more than one long fall into darkness?
For Miles, she turned to the one thing she does best: standing on the stage. The New York Post reported that she has returned to “The King and I,” reprising her award-winning role in a London revival of the show.
The audience could quickly tell that the actress’ body had yet to fully recuperate from her ordeal. Miles used a cane while onstage and periodically sat on a chair to recover her strength, props not originally included as part of her role.
“Because of her brilliance and the depth of what she brings … all of a sudden you can’t imagine Lady Thiang being performed without a cane,” one audience member gushed. And that was only the start of the praise.
People quoted another attendee who took to Twitter to say, “Tonight was Ruthie Ann Miles’ first night, and it was an absolute masterclass in strength and courage. I will be forever in awe of her performance and her.”
Miles’ costars were no less taken with her efforts, and actress Kelli O’Hara tweeted, “She is singing like an angel and commanding the stage with a heavenly force. Every moment was a gift and continues to be. … An inspiration to all. I knew you would want to know.”
Indeed, we would, and Miles herself seemed to understand the momentous step she had taken in returning to professional acting after her great loss. At the end of the show, she stood with tears rolling down her face as the audience loosed thunderous applause.
Time cannot heal all wounds. But even though some may abide, we can admire a woman whose personal courage lets her bare her wounded soul for all to see.
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