Ruthie Ann Miles is sharing how her most recent work in the show “The Seat of Our Pants,” is deeply connected to the loss of two of her children back in 2018.
Miles Relates to Her Character’s Grief
Miles finished the Public Theater’s “The Seat of Our Pants,” a musical by playwright Ethan Lipton and two-time Tony nominee director Leigh Silverman, on Sunday, December 7. In the musical, she portrayed Mrs. Antrobus, a woman mourning her son.
Offstage, Miles has grieved the losses of two of her children for years.
In March 2018, Miles’ 5-year-old daughter Abigail Joy was struck and killed by a driver in New York.
Miles was seven months pregnant at the time of the accident with a baby girl she planned to name Sophia Rosemary and sustained injuries herself. Two months later, she suffered a miscarriage.
Speaking to Vulture in an interview published Wednesday, December 10, Miles shared that the themes of “The Seat of Our Pants” had been a topic in her therapy sessions. She had discussed with her therapist that she believes, “it’s a privilege to watch somebody grieve.”
“Whether it’s a real person who is grieving the thousands of things that we grieve — our parents, our children, the loss of a dream — or a character, it’s a privilege to watch and hold somebody in their grief. And it’s a particular honor to portray that onstage as somebody who also has personal … Do I want to say daily? … My grief is still very fresh,” Miles said.
“However, I am not grieving my children as [my character] Mrs. Antrobus. I said this to our director as well. I don’t want anyone to be nervous or afraid or scared or worried for Ruthie because I do separate the two,” she assured her fans during her interview with Vulture. “I have this very deep well of emotion and grief that I can pull from, because it’s a part of who I am and what I’ve lived. I know what my body does when it reaches this emotive state. But I am not saying ‘Abel’ and thinking ‘Abby.'”
Miles Welcomes Daughter 2 Years After the Tragedy
Miles and husband Jonathan Blumenstein welcomed their third child, a daughter named Hope Elizabeth, on April 3, 2020.
“Welcome the world, Baby Hope Elizabeth!” the new mom shared.
In March 2020, when she first revealed her pregnancy, Miles showed her appreciation to fans.
“Thank you especially to the many of you who supported us in the aftermath of the crash, continually lifted us up in prayer, doused us with love, encouraged us, let us be and grieve these two years, and now rejoice with us in this new life,” Miles wrote on Instagram.
“We know Abigail Joy and Sophia would have loved being big sisters and are loving watching their family grow,” she added, signing the caption, “Love, Jonathan and Ruthie Ann.”
Miles Leaves Fans With a Positive Message
GettyThe “The King and I” actress shared that there was one thing she hoped audiences would take away from her performance in “The Seat of Our Pants.”
“It’s a privilege to grow older,” Miles said. “It’s a privilege to learn. It’s a privilege to have this kind of conversation. It’s a privilege to experience pain. It’s awful. But we get to feel, and not everybody does.”
