NO CHILD Will End Its Return at the Pillsbury House Theatre 3/14

Pillsbury House Theatre will end its run of NO CHILD... by Nilaja Sun on March 14th. NO CHILD... was directed by Noël Raymond and featured Sonja Parks in a solo performance portraying all sixteen characters. The production began performances February 12th.

Sonja Parks returns in this riveting one-woman, sixteen character performance that was recognized with a 2009 Ivey Award. NO CHILD... is a tour-de-force solo piece that underscores PILLSBURY HOUSE THEATRE's commitment to challenging work that inspires choice, change and connection. This multi-award winning play examines not only the state of today's education system but also the very people that work in that system every day from the teachers to the students and even the janitor. NO CHILD... is a sometimes joyous, sometimes moving story of art, redemption and the precarious state of America's public educational system.

"NO CHILD... is a show we couldn't wait to bring back," states Noël Raymond. "The story is so moving and touching. It's a perfect mix of humor and drama. NO CHILD... is also a story that everyone can relate to. If you've been involved with the school system in any form whether it was as a student, a teacher, administrator or support staff, you can relate to the characters in this show. After a performance last year, one teacher even told us this production should be required viewing for anyone thinking of becoming a teacher. Of course what really makes this production shine is the jaw dropping performance by Sonja Parks. Her seamless movement from one character to the next will have you believing you actually saw sixteen different people on stage. Playwright Nilaja Sun (who also starred in the original production) stated that when she pictured other people performing NO CHILD, her vision of a perfect performance matched the performance she witnessed by Sonja Parks."

"I'm so proud to be part of this production again," says Parks. "President Obama has encouraged Americans to be of service in some way. Now, people are running around trying to find somewhere to volunteer or some way they can help. That is so encouraging, but we must remember not to ignore the obvious. Each of our schools need help every hour of the day. You don't have to have a child in the public school system; you just have to care about the kids that are there. My hope is that this piece will help remind people (myself included) that the best opportunity to serve may be as close as the school on the corner."

NO CHILD... first premiered in New York in 2005. Nilaja Sun crafted the script from her own experiences as a teaching artist for nine years in the New York public school system. "I created this piece to be a snapshot from the trenches, something entertaining and provocative that'll get people talking about the state of our public schools." NO CHILD... has performed all across the country and won numerous awards including the 2007 Obie Award for Distinguished Performances and the 2007 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New American Play.

NO CHILD...
Written by Nilaja Sun
Directed by Noël Raymond
Featuring: Sonja Parks
Lighting Design: Mike Wangen
Sound Design: C. Andrew Mayer
Set Design: Ron Albert
Costume Design: Clare Brauch

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