Alan Aymie's A CHILD LEFT BEHIND Comes to Ruskin Group Theatre, Now thru 12/20

After a critically acclaimed extended run  at Beverly Hills Playhouse, this stunning production of A Child Left Behind now opens at Ruskin Group Theatre, in Santa Monica.

It was time to speak up. When LAUSD teacher and playwright Alan Aymie was given his second pink slip from the school district that he had worked in for a decade, and later "graded" by the LA Times, he decided that it was time to provide a voice for the teaching professional. While painting a compelling and powerful portrait of the daily challenges that teachers face in Los Angeles, Aymie also takes a poignant look at his own experiences of trying to teach his son who was recently assessed with Asperger’s Syndrome.

"Here I was working to be a good teacher, yet the person (my son) who I really needed to teach I couldn't reach," explains Aymie.

A dramatic response to the LA Times’ Value Added teacher ratings. A teacher’s personal journey of trying to be a good educator while parenting a special needs child, and learning what it takes to be taught.

A CHILD LEFT BEHIND runs at 8pm on Thursdays, tonight, October 4 – December 20, 2012 (no performances 10/25, 11/ 1, and 11/22). Ruskin Group Theatre is located at 3000 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Tickets are $20 (seniors, students) and can be purchased in advance by calling (310) 397-3244. For more information, visit www.ruskingrouptheatre.com. Free parking is available at the theater.

ALAN AYMIE (Writer/Performer) is an award-winning playwright (Rap - AAPEX Best New Play). A Child Left Behind marks Aymie’s first solo piece since his critically acclaimed, Child’s Play, called “powerful, touching, and funny,” by the LA Times. The play was seen at the HBO Workspace, the Aspen Comedy Festival, PSNBC and various theaters in Los Angeles, New York, DC, Boston, Ojai, and in Colorado.

Paul Stein (Director) has directed numerous one-person shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Toronto including productions at United Solo, soloNova, Summer Works Festival, U.S. Comedy Arts Festival and Hollywood Fringe. His latest directed solo show Antonio Sacre's The Next Best Thing won "Best Storyteller" at United Solo and is nominated for a 2012 LA Weekly Award for Solo Performance. Paul is the Artistic Producer and Conceiver of The Car Plays with recent presentations at RADAR LA, Segerstrom Center and The La Jolla Playhouse. He is the Artistic Director of the Comedy Central Stage in Hollywood.

RUSKIN GROUP THEATRE has been making an impact on the Los Angeles theatre scene with an eclectic mix of thought provoking plays, garnering numerous “recommendations” from local critics. Their production of Rex Pickett’s SIDEWAYS THE PLAY has been a “sell out” hit for most of 2012, with another extension through October 27th. Ruskin’s Fostering Imagination program sponsors foster kids in theatre & film classes that produce several original shows each year. The CAFÉ PLAYS, created by RGT are produced monthly and are the culmination of writers, actors, and directors who meet at 9am, where they are given a theme. They then write, produce, and perform a show by 7pm the same day. When celebrating their 8th anniversary, RGT supporters Ed Asner, Dylan McDermott, Chris Mulkey, Olivia d'Abo, and other industry celebrities joined to produce the Best of Café Plays (both shows sold out within hours). Anthony Hopkins and Anthony Franciosa were some of the first teachers at Ruskin School of Theatre.

THE KATSELAS THEATRE COMPANY originally produced A CHILD LEFT BEHIND. The company is widely respected for its history of developing artists (actors, musicians, writers, designers, and directors) while helping to create the next generation of theatre goers - thus its passion for new original plays that speak to today's audiences. KTC has produced over ten World Premiere productions in only two years, including INFLUENCE(2010 Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle nomination for Best Actor and two LA Weekly nominations for Best Play and Best Production), HERMETICALLY SEALED (2011 Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle nomination for Best Actress, an LA Weekly nomination for Best Ensemble and the LA Times List of top ten productions for 2011) and MAD WOMAN (2011 Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle nomination and an LA Weekly nomination for Best Solo Performance – John Fleck).

Photo Credit: Ed Krieger

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