World Premiere of Seedfolks to Open at Children's Theatre Company
Sep 13, 2014

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is proud to present Seedfolks, a world premiere developed by CTC through the new play development lab. Based on the Newbery Medal-winning book by Paul Fleischman, Seedfolks is about an immigrant neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio that is transformed by a community garden. Actor Sonja Parks embodies the eleven distinct voices of Gibb Street in this enthralling, one-woman production, directed by Peter C. Brosius. Seedfolks runs September 30 - November 16, 2014 on the Cargill Stage.

For Peter Brosius, this book has long been one he wished to stage. "This is a beautifully written, funny and poignant book about the power we all have to be catalysts for change. We came to the decision to use one single actor to portray eleven, diverse voices in this production as a demonstration that we are all part of a whole, and together, we can create something beautiful."

Seedfolks begins when nine-year-old Kim plants the first seeds in the rat-infested, vacant lot next to her apartment building. They are six lima bean seeds, planted in honor of the father she never knew. Slowly, each member of the community finds a reason to plant their own seeds, resurrecting a derelict lot and uniting a fractured neighborhood. The story consists of 11 different narratives around the shared experience of creating a true neighborhood jewel out of what was an eye-sore, all deftly portrayed by Sonja Parks (Aimee Bryant will replace Parks for the final week of performances).

Parks mused, "What I love about CTC is its respect for children as the intelligent little people they are, inviting them and their parents to be part of an experience from which you always learn something, regardless of age."

"I can't wait to see it," enthused author Paul Fleischman. "It's always exciting to hand one's work to artists in other realms. So many new possibilities open up when you move from a book to a play: lighting, music, an actor's presence, pauses between lines that can't be rendered on the page." The book is written in the style of multiple points of view which is a hallmark of his fiction. Fleischman will be attending the production on Saturday, October 11 and signing books between 3-5pm that day.

Jorge Cousineau will bring the world of Cleveland's Gibb Street to life as the set and video projection designer with costumes by Sonja Berlovitz and lighting design by Paul Whitaker. Victor Zupanc is the composer with sound design by Sean Healey. D'Arcy Smith is the dialect coach and Joe Chvala choreographs. Seedfolks is proudly sponsored by General Mills Foundation, with additional support from the Linda Jacobs Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Minnesota State Arts Board.

Due to many performances selling out, Seedfolks has been extended by one week and runs September 30 - November 16 on the Cargill Stage. As part of CTC's commitment to programming for ages two through eighteen, Seedfolks is recommended for grades 3-8, and the book is required reading for Minneapolis sixth graders. Tickets are on sale now starting at $10. For more information, visit us online at childrenstheatre.org or call the Ticket Office at 612.874.0400.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is the only theatre for young people to win the coveted Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre (2003). Founded in 1965, CTC serves 250,000 people annually and is one of the 20 largest regional theatre companies in the nation, named by Time Magazine as the number one theatre for families in the U.S.A. The company is noted for defining worldwide standards for youth theatre with an innovative mix of classic tales, celebrated international productions and challenging new work. In 2015-2016, CTC will celebrate its 50th Anniversary season!

Sonja Parks - CTC credits include: A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings (2002); Snapshot Silhouette (2004); Splash Hatch on the E Going Down (2005); Anon(ymous) (2006); Sleeping Beauty; and Antigone (2003, 2006). Her other Twin Cities credits include work at Penumbra Theatre, Guthrie Theater, Park Square Theatre and Pillsbury House Theatre. She studied at the University of Texas, the Dance Theatre of Harlem and The National Black Theatre under the direct tutelage of its founder and artistic director, the late Dr. Barbra Ann Teer. She has extensive television and film credits, working with prominent professionals such as Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Martin Sheen, Faye Dunaway and Gloria Ruben. She was one of the original members of poet/playwright Sharon Bridgforth's celebrated root wy'mn Theatre Company, touring nationally with them for three years, and her one- person show with the company was nominated for an Osborn Award by The American Theatre Critics Association. She taught acting as a member of the Theatre Arts faculty at the University of Minnesota for six years and Advanced Acting & Voice for Penumbra Theatre's Summer Institute Program for four years. Her recognitions and awards include a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, a McKnight Artist Fellowship, a Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship, two Ivey Awards (Acting, 2009; Directing, 2010), a featured artist in Time Magazine and named one of "Seven Artists You Must See" by American Theatre Magazine.

Aimee Bryant (final week, understudy) - Bryant has appeared on many stages throughout the Twin Cities and across the nation since graduating from Howard University. She was most recently in the ensemble of My Fair Lady at the Guthrie Theater. Her Children's Theatre Company credits include Stamping Shouting & Singing Home (2000); Splash Hatch on the E Going Down (2005); A Year with Frog and Toad (2007-8) and Seussical the Musical. Aimee is also a teaching artist and songwriter. Her original music can be heard on her debut album Becoming, available through iTunes, CDBaby.com and most other online music retailers.

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