*“No Child…” *
In New York City at Barrow Street Theater in 2007, a one-woman show was performed that would eventually become a smash hit. “No Child…” by Nilaja Sun is an award winning off-Broadway hit telling the tale of a teaching artist going to the Bronx. 7:00 tomorrow night at Quirk Theater, Wallace Bridges brings Nilaja Sun’s “No Child…” to life.
“No Child…” runs Feb. 9, 10, 17, 18 at 7 p.m. and 11, 19 at 2 p.m. in Sponberg Theater. This show contains adult language and is recommended for mature audiences. Ticket prices for students are $12 and can be purchased at the Student Center, Quirk Box Office or at the Convocation Center. Visit www.emutix.com to buy tickets online.
“One of the primary reasons I chose this show was due to casting reasons,” said Bridges. “We have a small cast which helps in casting an Afrocentric show. I want everyone to have a chance to see and perform theater that is primary Afrocentric.”
The title “No Child…” speaks of the harsh realities of what can happen in a public school system. Sometimes children get left behind and teachers like Miss Sun (played by Karen Yelverton) have to deal with kids who are going though life challenges such as poverty and rough neighborhoods.
“Because of my background and where I was born and raised, I was able to relate to Miss Sun and what she
stood for — equality in education,” said junior Yelverton. “It was refreshing to play Miss Sun and bring a play like this to life. Her message is strong and heartfelt and I just hope and pray the audience will be moved.”
“Miss Sun helps them to evolve. Makes them into better humans,” Bridges said. “At the same time she is aware of the obstacles that must be over come to get her students’ attention. Miss Sun is facing children with foul language, but at some point the students start correcting themselves.”
Normally this is performed as a one-woman show, but it is not uncommon for directors to make this an ensemble piece. Seven actors will each play two different roles with the exception of Miss Sun. Upon doing this they must ensure that the story is still accurate, just with more actors. The cast is confident they will be able to pull this off without a hitch.
“I think although this show was written for one woman, having an ensemble gives it a whole new life in which the audience gets a chance to relate to the characters more,” said cast member Helena Bardakjian. “Although they are the same characters having an ensemble, the interpretation of the characters differ by the person portraying them. I think this gives the show a different edge.”
A challenge of having people play multiple roles is running the risk of characters played by the same person colliding. Brittney Wright runs into this problem with her two characters, Shondrika and Coca.
“My role as two characters, Shondrika and Coca, has strengthened me as an actress and allowed me to explore more challenging sectors in theatre,” Wright said. “I would like the audience to understand that both characters have the same circumstances and both characters can develop a greater sense of awareness toward moving past their adversities. People are faced with barriers in life and those conditions can make you achieve more than what is expected.”
Nilaja Sun has garnered success with her production. It has been five years since “No Child…” debuted and in this time it has obtained 17 awards, including Best One-Person Show in the U.S. and the Princess Grace Award, which is dedicated to identifying and assisting emerging talent in the arts.
“Dead Man’s Cell Phone”
“Please remember to silence your phone in the theater and we hope you enjoy the show,” is a pretty common theater message. Cell phone usage in today’s culture has become a standard practice ranging from text messaging to Internet access or just using it to make a phone call. In 2008, Sarah Ruhl brought “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” to audiences in New York and on Feb. 3, director Pirooz Aghssa will bring this comedy to the EMU stage.
“Dead Man’s Cell Phone” runs at 7 p.m. Feb. 3, 4, 11 and 16 and at 2 p.m. on Feb. 5, 12 in Sponberg Theater. This show contains adult language and is recommended for mature audiences. Ticket prices for students are $12 and can be purchased at the Student Center, Quirk Box Office or at the Convocation Center. Visit www.emutix.com to buy tickets online.
“Dead Man’s Cell Phone” takes place in New York City and follows the main character Jean. While sitting in a café, a man’s cell phone repeatedly goes off without him answering it. Fed up with the man, Jean marches over to his table to find out he is dead, and comes into the possession of the man’s phone.
“Sarah Ruhl definitely took a creative leap in using the cell phone, but she does it in a way that doesn’t come off as ‘cliche’ or ‘cheesy,’” said cast member Marissa Kurtzhals. “She challenges us to look at technology in a way we’re not familiar. We don’t really consider what happens to our cell phones after we die. ‘Dead Man’s Cell Phone’ is a story for our generation.”
This farce journeys into the identity of a complete stranger and the audience learns about the man’s job, wife, mistress and various other events in his life.
“The cell phone becomes a device of revealing someone’s identity,” said Aghssa. “It memorializes their life. Whether they were good or bad, they become a saint.”
“Dead Man’s Cell Phone” is a very skeletal script that leaves room for the director to interpret it in the direction they see fit. There is no time line and is classified as a contemporary script. The protagonist starts in a very realistic situation then dives into the unimaginable.
It is a funny exploration of life and death with a transformation that it brings about when confronted with
death. When it comes to the mood/tone of the piece, it slips back and forth between digital coldness and warm comfortable scenes.
“Usually productions happen in the past, this is happening in the now,” said Aghssa. “Theater is sometimes thought of as an old-fashioned art form but it can, and does deal with contemporary issues.”
“Dead Man’s Cell Phone” is an ensemble piece offering a real relationship between its performers and the parts they play. The audience will experience a variety of characters who don’t all have positive relationships with the dead man and are honest about their involvement in his life.
“This show is how to make real connections with people beyond appearances and how all phones can create an identity that, compared with the actual person, may not match up,” said Aghssa. “Imagine sending an email or a text that has a good intention but the reader interprets it incorrectly. You get that connection electronically, but you never get the full message.”
While cell phones might have been in other shows as a prop, here it is a character. It offers a lens into a strangers life, but acts as a double-edged sword as characters are connected and disconnected with each other at the same time.
“This is the first play that I have read that is all about the cell phone as a character,” said Aghssa. “Not even ten years ago would you see something like this.”