[NEohioPAL] Berko review: 'no CHILD' (Cleveland Public Theatre)

[Roy Berko]

Nina Domingue is
brilliant in’ no CHILD….’at CPT
 
Roy Berko
 
(Member, American Theatre
Critics Association)
 
--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
 
Lorain County
Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times  
 
--cool cleveland.com—
 
If you are smart you will
go to the phone right now and call 216-631-2727, or go on-line to www.cptonline.org, and order tickets to see ‘no CHILD…,’ now
in performance at Cleveland Public Theatre.  You’d better hurry because as the accolades spread, the
50-seat performance space will quickly sell out.
 
There are not enough
superlatives in the English language to describe Nina Domingue’s one-woman
performance in this well written and conceived play.   
 
‘no CHILD…” was penned by
New York City native Nilaja Sun, who has been a teaching artist with New York’s
Epic Theatre Company’s “Journeys” program, which brings theatre to city schools
through intensive sessions of rehearsal and performance of a single play.  It follows Sun as she attempts to mount
a production of ‘OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD’ at Malcolm X High School in the
Bronx.   The script examines
prisoners in Australia.  Yes, that
seems like a strange topic choice for these kids.  On the surface, it is, but …. (I’m not going to go any further
with this and ruin it for all of you who are going to attend.)
 
Domingues plays not only
Nilaja Sun, but all fifteen characters in the story – the students and fellow
teachers, parents and janitors, and even the security guard who mans the metal
detector at the school’s gates.
 
She develops all the
roles with absolute clarity.  Each
character has such a unique gesture pattern, inflection and vocal sound that
there is never any doubt who is speaking.  This is a “must be seen to be believed” performance.
 
We, through the
presentation, laugh,  tear up and
get outraged as the play captures the essence of what it is like to be in the
public school system today.  In
this case, the public schools of the Bronx, which parallels the inner city
schools in Cleveland and all other major cities that have been the victims of
white flight. An exodus that  leaves the falling apart buildings and over-worked teachers with student
bodies of ill-prepared African American and Hispanics.  Kids who are expected to pass the No School
Left Behind proficiency tests, but aren’t capable due to poor home environments
and inept schools. 
 
The Ohio premiere
production is well-directed by Lisa Ortenzio, who is no stranger to the
topic.  She directs  and trains young professional actors
and develops programming the school outreach programs.   Her background includes being the
Education Director of Cleveland Youth Theatre.  She has taught at Westlake High School, Willoughby South and
Magnificat High School.  
 
Capsule
judgement:  Domingue so consumes the various roles that it is
almost impossible to believe that only one, not fifteen performers appear on
stage.  BRAVO!  BRAVO!  BRAVO!  Go see
this show!!
 ‘no
CHILD’ run through  April 25 in
CPT’s intimate Bookstore Theatre.  For tickets call 216-631-2727 or go on line to www.cptonline.org 

 Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2009, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info

His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com and NeOHIOpal (to subscribe visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.)