Beck Center’s ‘Ruthless!’ goes for broke, which pays huge dividends Bob Abelman Cleveland Jewish News, The News Herald, The Morning Journal Member, International Association of Theatre Critics One can only imagine the dead silence in the room when lyricist Joel Paley and composer Marvin Laird pitched their idea for “Ruthless!” to off-Broadway investors back in 1992. It probably matched the silence that engulfed the Beck Center for the Arts’ board room when artistic director Scott Spence pitched this show for the main stage season opener. For more of this review, go to www.clevelandjewishnews.com/columnists/.