New York playwright and performer Nilaja Sun will be hitting Arts Centre Melbourne for the Australian premiere of her one-woman work, Pike St. Known for her chameleon-like ability to switch between characters, Sun brings the people of the Lower East Side to life through the story of a struggling Puerto Rican family in the midst of a major storm.
Pike St. is the third in Art Centre Melbourne's Big World, Up Close series: a trilogy of shows from across the globe designed to take audiences to worlds beyond their horizon. It will follow on from Guru of Chai (Aug 22-27) and Black T-Shirt Collection (Sep 5-10).
This play is centred around Evelyn, a mother consumed with caring for her teenage daughter, Candace. When a storm hits, she must fight to keep her daughter alive and her family intact. Sun plays every character in the story, from Puerto Rican war veteran Manny to the elderly neighbour Mrs Applebaum.
Our friends over at Time Out New York gave it four stars, and said seeing Nilaja Sun perform solo "is like watching a virtuosic musician". After her sold out Melbourne Festival show No Child, Pike St. is a hot ticket to see some serious international talent right here in Melbourne.
Pike St. runs from September 12-17 at Arts Centre Melbourne.