Theatre Review By Kevin Six
When you produce a play about teaching artists trying to make sense of arts and education, set in a school, and performed at a community college – with student actors yet – you’re asking a lot of an audience. This much was asked of me tonight and, after my disclaimer that I am married to a member of the cast, I must say Mesa College and InnerMission Productions’ “No Child…” It’s worth the drive to Kearney Mesa.
The play itself is short – less than an hour – but every second of it brings something new, touching and uplifting. The story is real and often acted solo by the author, by Nilaja Sun. Some day, I’d like to see her do this because the rapid-fire exchange of dialogue is an amazing feat and this cast of 16 was working overtime as it was.
The play is narrated by Janitor Barron, in an extremely human and wizened portrayal by Rhys Green. Barron paints the picture of a school and a class full of kids who have already been left behind when the national No Child Left Behind brings its show to Brooklyn. Ms. Sun has been hired, through a department of education grant, to teach the worst of the worst kids a play. Lynae DePriest pretty much lives the pain, and pathos of this poor artist with an impossible task, and manages to instill hope. Another stand out in the cast is Justine Hince as the overwhelmed and finally consumed Ms. Tam. Watching her go from hopeful to disenchanted, to giving up is worth the price of admission.
It is at this point that a reviewer would explain that this production was an educational collaboration with actual students playing the actual students and professionals playing the adults in a way to soften the blow that the kids were blown away by the pros. But not so. These kids are possessed of so much energy, talent and emotion (and so much control over them all) that it is hard to understand that they are just beginning their careers as actors. The ensemble as a whole is even, competent and surefooted.
Standouts among the kids are Brandon Kelly as the angry young Jerome, Bianca Ostojich whose Shondrika can kill with a look, and Rebekah Ensley whose Cocoa puts hope into a much-too-common end to her high school studies.
The production team is also a combination of students and professionals and by-and-large they pull it off with nary a hitch. Directors Carla Nell and Kym Pappas have managed to create a strong, powerful cast that is surprisingly even, even as the emotions trickle, flow and sometimes gush. The only thing wanting is more sound design. There was too little musical accompaniment to follow up an excellent opening.
So what, you will think, wiping away tears, as the lights fade on an excellently-wrought “No Child…” After all, as Janitor Barron says, “sometimes the most talented ones just slip through the cracks.” All in all Mesa and InnerMission created an excellent production with an excellent use of student and professional actors, staff and technicians – and an excellent way to spend an evening. Just give yourself time to find the college, the parking lot and the theatre – watch this video for information on where to park.
InnerMission Productions and Mesa College present “No Child” by Nilaja Sun at Mesa College’s A Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. through May 20. Tickets range from $10-15 and are available at InnerMissionProductions.org or Mesa College’s Apolliad Theater, 7250 Mesa College Dr., San Diego, CA, 92111. Building C-100 on this map.
Thoughts and commentary from theatre professionals around San Diego.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
"Arts Left Behind?" by Out & About | San Diego Reader
This appeared in Jeff Smith;s San Diego Reader blog Thursday. I am quasi-involved in InnerMission's production of "No Child...", which wakes place during No Child Left Behind. Unlike me, the play doesn't preach. It makes a statement, powerfully, by showing the children. Some of them were left behind.
"Arts Left Behind?" by Out & About | San Diego Reader
"Arts Left Behind?" by Out & About | San Diego Reader
Saturday, May 5, 2012
An OpEd Piece about No Child Left Behind...
and other things on the mind of former arts administrator Kevin Six...
When I think about my involvement in arts education over the
years, I remember the productions I’ve done with students in two categories:
before No Child Left Behind and after No Child Left Behind.
Before this legislation, the non-profit I worked with, then
called City Moves!, was welcome with open arms when we would bring theatre
projects into public schools. After this
legislation, our invitation for a “free, standards-based program” was often
declined because, as one teacher said, “No Child Left Behind means no child
left untested.”
In light of InnerMission Productions upcoming play, No Child…, an inside look at the effect
of introducing theatre to a group of unruly Bronx high school students written
by teaching artist Nilaja Sun, it might be worth another glance at the state of
arts education here in San Diego and how important the message of the play is
right now.
The truth is that art for art’s sake does not exist in California schools. The arts now conform to some fairly rigid
state-wide standards. Since 2001, when
the education bill was passed in this country, everyone who wanted a piece of
the educational system’s pie talked about “standards-based arts education.” As a result, every other arts program that
did not include these standards was dropped.
Standard Number Eight, the one that dictates arts education
now, states that the arts must connect to the other curricula. Every time this connection component came up
in committee meetings as a potential reason to refuse our program, I would
always ask one question: Are the other standards required to connect to
the arts?
No, as it turned out.
Curriculum areas like math, science, history and English were never
required to reciprocate the relationship.
But this wasn’t surprising because as artists, arts educators, and arts
administrators, it had always been our job to do that. So, we did.
Or, we tried. Projects
were still refused. And other projects were
accepted but rescheduled at the last minute.
Rehearsals were often canceled.
And teachers would freak out because a test was coming and they were
afraid that the kids wouldn’t do well, and if that happened, funding would go
away and…
So, some of my colleagues and I tried to prove that arts in
schools helped improve test scores. But,
that was a difficult proposition. Most
of the programs were free and most free programs happened in schools with a lot
of poverty and schools with a lot of poverty were already among the lowest
performing schools in the area, test-wise.
But there was one thing we could prove: attendance. Kids in after-school arts programs came to
school on the days that they had their program and did so more often than on
any other day. I remember a principal
coming to a dance class to look for a specific trouble-making student. The principal could not believe that the kid,
who was in detention every day, always behaved on Tuesdays. Coincidentally, that was the day he had dance
class. And another thing about this kid:
He was a born leader, something the
principal didn’t recognize at the time.
I’d like to think we changed the culture of the few schools
where we did run programs. But, we had
help. Schools are run by three equally
powerful people: the school secretary, the principal’s secretary and the
janitor. If a school was fortunate
enough to have a principal who understood the value of the arts, those three people
were supportive and there was a chance of success.
But if they weren’t on board…
How many children were left behind during No Child? How many kids weren’t seen in a new, positive
light by teachers who had pegged them as troublemakers? How many kids didn’t
find a reason to go to school and stay involved (at least on Tuesdays) because
of their arts program? Too many to think
about, is my guess.
And I thought I was done thinking about it. My career as an arts administrator folded
with the economy. The program went on,
in good hands, without me. People I
trained are still doing the work and I try to forget about the lost children.
Then, my wife got cast in the play No Child…, which opens Saturday, May 12, at 8 pm at Mesa College’s
Apolliad Theatre. Turns out playwright
and teaching artist Nilaja Sun spent six weeks teaching/directing a play during
No Child Left Behind. Sun takes this
experience and tells a very compelling story about what it’s like being an
outsider in a system that is troubled, working with kids who are troubled on a
project that never had a chance. She
gets it all pretty much right. It is a
bold and insightful piece of theatre that doesn’t preach, doesn’t name
names. It just shows one powerful experience.
And it leaves no one behind.
---
No Child… by Nilaja
Sun. Presented by InnerMission
Productions, in collaboration with the Mesa College Drama Department. May 12-20, 2012, at Mesa College’s
Apolliad Theatre. Tickets to may be
purchased online at www.innermissionproductions.org,
at the box office an
hour before curtain or by calling 619-324-8970.
---
Kevin Six is an actor
and playwright. For a time, During No
Child Left Behind, he was the executive director of City Moves!, the chair of
the San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition and on several arts and arts education
boards, committees and round tables. He
really thinks you owe it to yourself to see No Child…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)