Pillsbury House Theatre Announces Their 2010 Season

PILLSBURY HOUSE THEATRE is pleased to announce their 2010 Season. This year PILLSBURY HOUSE THEATRE will present three Mainstage productions, two CHICAGO AVENUE PROJECT productions and three LATE NITE presentations.

"PILLSBURY HOUSE THEATRE is embarking on an ambitious season for 2010," states Co-Artistic Producing Director Faye M. Price. "We're extremely excited to kick off the season with a remount of last year's highly praised NO CHILD... written by Nilaja Sun and directed by Noël Raymond. We had so many people asking us to do that show again. Then when the Ivey Awards recognized Sonja Parks for her amazing work in it, we knew it had to be part of our 2010 season. We'll close the Mainstage season with the acclaimed dark comedy VIGIL written by Morris Panych and directed by associate company member Stephen DiMenna who just directed this production off-Broadway to great reviews. It's edgy, doesn't pull any punches, and really makes you think; exactly the type of production we love to present at PILLSBURY HOUSE THEATRE. In addition to our Mainstage shows, we'll have two productions of the ever inspiring CHICAGO AVENUE PROJECT, and three unique presentations of the LATE NITE SERIES curated by e.g. bailey and Laurie Carlos."

"In a time when you see many theatres cutting back, PILLSBURY HOUSE THEATRE is bucking the trend and actually adding to our programming," adds Co-Artistic Managing Director Noël Raymond. "Artistic Associate James A. Williams is using his theatre experience to build a Teen Theatre Ensemble which will teach teens to use theatre to explore various issues. PILLSBURY HOUSE THEATRE is also exploring new ticketing opportunities with the goal of making theatre accessible to all. It is going to be a very exciting and busy year for the theatre."

NO CHILD... BY Nilaja Sun, DIRECTED BY NOËL RAYMOND
FEBRUARY 12 - MARCH 14, 2010

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.

"A class act... Parks taps our imaginations so deeply." Rohan Preston - The Star Tribune
"Sonja Parks earns her place in the solo-show firmament with her smart, funny and touching work in NO CHILD..." - Dominic Papatola, Pioneer Press

TBA
MAY 28 - JUNE 27, 2010

From heart-stopping productions like BLACKBIRD and BUG to stories of change like HOME and BULRUSHER, PILLSBURY HOUSE THEATRE continues its commitment of creating theatre that inspires choice, change and connection. PILLSBURY HOUSE THEATRE will soon announce another production that's original, up-front, and personal.

VIGIL BY Morris Panych, DIRECTED BY Stephen DiMenna
SEPTEMBER 10 - OCTOBER 16, 2010

Stephen DiMenna (BLACKBIRD, BUG, BEL CANTO, JESUS HOPPED THE ‘A' TRAIN) returns to PILLSBURY HOUSE THEATRE to direct VIGIL by Morris Panych, a dark comedy that DC Theatre Scene calls "a rich stew of a play". DiMenna recently directed VIGIL off-Broadway showcasing his skill at creating touching and emotional human interaction on stage. In the play, Kemp, a self obsessive bank clerk, receives a letter from his rich Aunt Grace, whom he hasn't seen or spoken to in over thirty years. Grace's letter claims she is dying which Kemp sees as an opportunity to cash in on her will. Kemp quits his job to go live with Grace thinking this will be quick money, but what he doesn't foresee is Grace's refusal to die. What Kemp expects to be only a few weeks stretches out over a year and becomes lesson in life and loneliness for both of them. VIGIL is a comedic and thought-provoking look at growing up, aging, and dying.

"VIGIL is both smart and clever. Director Stephen DiMenna establishes a pace and tone from the outset that keeps us slightly on edge and untethered." - NYTheatre.com
"A jagged jewel of a play. DiMenna directs with unforced, excellent pacing." - Backstage.com
"A funny play that makes you want to cry." - Variety

THE CHICAGO AVENUE PROJECT
APRIL 26 & 27; NOVEMBER 8 & 9

PILLSBURY HOUSE THEATRE's CHICAGO AVENUE PROJECT will once again be pairing theatre professionals with area youth to create original pieces that foster the child's growth. Directors, playwrights, actors and more all volunteer their time to help the children act on stage or create a script. Past theatre professionals have included Christiana Clark, Tracey Maloney, Nathaniel Fuller, James A. Williams, Trista Baldwin, Joseph Scrimshaw and Carlyle Brown. Each production features 8-10 one acts. The spring production will feature plays written for a child actor and adult actor. The fall production features plays written by the youth for adult actors.

LATE NITE: NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING SPOKEN HERE
FALL 2010

The LATE NITE SERIES, curated by Laurie Carlos and co-curated by e.g. bailey is a transformation of culture where text, music, spoken word, sounds and images weave together in a fearless celebration of new voices and new art. Witness the beginnings of brand new performances as artists from an array of disciplines come together to explore the cross currents of social change, community and identity. Each performance brings new and original acts to the PILLSBURY HOUSE THEATRE stage. Past performers have included José James, Katie Ka Vang, Kim Thompson, Black Ice, Bill Cottman and J. Otis Powell.

Tickets to all PILLSBURY HOUSE THEATRE events can be purchased online at www.pillsburyhousetheatre.org or by calling the box office at 612-825-0459.

PILLSBURY HOUSE THEATRE attempts to create challenging theatre to inspire choice, change and connection. For more information, visit www.pillsburyhousetheatre.org.