by Thomas Gibbons

World Premiere with the

National New Play Network

Directed by Mark Robbins

January 18-February 10, 2008
PREVIEWS January 16 & 17

Featuring Danny Cox, Lynn King, Matthew Rapport,

Michael Linsley Rapport, Teisha M. Bankston and Jaqwan Sirls

Talk back performances January 22, 27 & 29

Benefit for Danny Cox and Family

January 30 and February 6

50% of proceeds from tickets go to the Cox Family.

Click for more details

Meet someone before the show to talk with after.

      Singles Night January 24

6:30 Reception $5

7:30 Show Regular Priced Ticket

Call for reservations.

When it is revealed that the site of a new Liberty museum is on the grounds where slaves quarters once stood, a bitter battle erupts between two African-Americans. Based on real life events in Philadelphia, this complex and volatile story explores whether or not African-Americans should embrace the legacy of slavery as their primary cultural identity or discard this mantle of “victim–hood.” Following the acclaimed Permanent Collection and Bee-Luther-Hatchee, A House With No Walls is the final installment of Gibbon’s “race trilogy.”

Danny Cox, Lynn King and Teisha M. Bankston from A House With No Walls

Photos by Cynthia Levin

The Reviews are in...

 

Pitch--Posted on Thur., January 24, 2008
Sacred Ground

The Unicorn gets its House in order, and Samuel Beckett books a room nearby.
By Alan Scherstuhl

 

InfoZine--Posted on Thur. January 24, 2008
Review: "A House with No Walls" at the Unicorn Theatre  (Click for Story)

by DAVID CONRADS

 

Kansas City Star--Posted on Sat., January 19, 2008
Review: 'A House With No Walls' at the Unicorn Theatre

(May require registration)

By ROBERT TRUSSELL 

 

Other Press...

 

Kansas City Star--Posted on Sat., February 2, 2008
Thomas Gibbons’ ‘A House With No Walls’ tells a story of modern-day black Americans  (May require registration)

By ROBERT TRUSSELL 

 

InfoZine--Posted on Fri., Jan 18, 2008
Unicorn Holds Benefit for Danny Cox and Family  (Click for Story)

 

NBC Action News--Posted on Thurs., January 17, 2008
Proceeds from play will help local actor who lost everything

(Click for Full Story)

 

KCUR--Aired on  Thur., Jan. 17, 2008

Play Explores Conflict in African-American Community  (Click to hear story)
The Unicorn Theatre is the site of a new play by Thomas Gibbons, A House With No Walls, that examines the political in-fighting between ultra-conservative African-Americans and those on the far-left end of the spectrum.
BY STEVE WALKER

 

Kansas City Star--Posted on Tues., January 15, 2008
Danny Cox loses his home to fire but rises to the lead role in Unicorn Theatre show

(May require registration)

By ROBERT TRUSSELL 

 

Kansas City Star--Posted on Sat., January 12, 2008
Unicorn presents final installment in Thomas Gibbons’ ideal-rich trilogy

(May require registration)

By ROBERT TRUSSELL 

 

InfoZine--Posted on Sat., Dec. 29, 2007
"A House with No Walls", Politically Charged World Premiere at Unicorn Theatre

(Click for Story)

 

Kansas City Star--Posted on Sat., Dec. 8, 2007
Unicorn Theatre will begin new year with ‘House With No Walls,’ ‘9 Parts of Desire’

(May require registration)

By ROBERT TRUSSELL 

 

Thomas Gibbons is playwright-in-residence at InterAct Theatre Company in Philadelphia, which has premiered seven of his plays: Pretending to America, 6221, Axis Sally, Black Russian, Bee-Luther-Hatchee, Permanent Collection, and A House With No Walls. Other plays include The Exhibition and Homer. His plays have also been seen at the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, off-off-Broadway at Blue Heron Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Florida Stage, Unicorn Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, New Repertory Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Center Stage, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Kirk Douglas Theatre/Center Theater Group, Aurora Theatre, and many others. He is the recipient of six playwriting fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a Roger L. Stevens Award from The Fund for New American Plays, two Barrymore Awards for Outstanding New Play, a Barrie and Bernice Stavis Playwriting Award, and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts.

Mark Robbins (Director) last season directed Unicorn’s Next of Kin and Orson's Shadow. During the summer he directed Private Lives and performed in Dinner With Friends and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, all three productions for Actors Theatre Kansas City. Earlier in 2007 he played the title role in Sherlock Holmes' Final Adventure at Kansas City Rep. Last Fall he began teaching Theatre courses for Park University.

 

 

 

 

Danny Cox (Salif Camara/Jacob Easton) is a 62-year-old native of Cincinnati, Ohio. He has had a 45-year career in the arts, including records, concert tours, theatre, television and cinema. Danny is an arts educator, husband, father of ten and grandfather of eight.  Danny last appeared at the Unicorn in The Exonerated.

 

 

Lynn King (Cadence Lane) is delighted, as always, to be back on the Unicorn stage.  She was last seen here in Intimate Apparel.  Other Unicorn favorites include Nickel and Dimed, Flyin’ West, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Jar the Floor, Betrayal of the Black Jesus, and another of Thomas Gibbons' plays, Bee Luther Hatchee.  A KC native and no stranger to local audiences, Lynn has appeared at Theatre for Young America, InPlay Theatre Co., Coterie Theatre, New Theatre Restaurant, KC Repertory Theatre, Johnson County Community College Theatre Dept., and with the UMKC Theatre Dept., (her alma mater).  Lynn is proud to have been honored with a Best in KC award for acting in 2003.  Lynn is deeply grateful for each and every blessing and sincerely treasures her dear family and friends for their continued love and support.  Special thanks to Cynthia, Mark, and Dennis.

 

Matthew Rapport (Allen Rosen/Tobias Humphries) is very happy to be returning to the Unicorn stage having last been seen as the puppet wielding jailbird Millet in Fuddy Meers.  Other Unicorn credits include Arms and Legs, Mojo and Slight Defect.  Matthew has appeared on stages throughout Kansas City including the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, The New Theatre, The Coterie and Theatre for Young America.  When not acting, Matt stays busy teaching Theatre Arts throughout the Metro area and playing music whenever he can.  Special thanks and much love to Sarah, Gracie and the whole clan.  And yes, Michael is his Father.

 

 

Michael Linsley Rapport (Park Ranger/Steven Gardner/”George Washington”) has appeared on the Unicorn stage in Mud, River, Stone, Aunt Dan and Lemon, Glengarry Glenross, Quills and The Judas Kiss. He has performed in more than 100 professional productions in the Kansas City area, ranging from A Christmas Carol, Amadeus and Treasure Island at Kansas City Rep to Lend Me a Tenor at the American Heartland Theatre, Love's Labour's Lost with the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival and On Golden Pond and The Foreigner at the New Theatre. Michael, who makes his home in Lawrence, is pleased to be working again with his son Matt.

 

Teisha M. Bankston (Oney Judge) has been a performer in the art of theatre, film, and dance in Kansas City since she was about 11 years old. Since then, Teisha has been a professional dancer for Neil Young at Starlight; Beneatha in A Raisin in the Sun at Just off Broadway; in roles for the Gorilla Theatre including playing Electra; a host of productions for the UMKC theatre department and graduate theatre department including in Reckless as Pooty (for which she was an Irene Ryan Nominee), Lesly in House of Yes, ensemble in Meanwhile, Irene/Isabel in American Clock, Diana in Darker Face of the Earth, and Cassandra in Trojan Women. Teisha has understudied for the Kansas City Rep's ...A Young Lady from Rwanda and Jitney.  She is a DAEP member of the Coterie where she performed as Nyasha in Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters and most recently as Pokie in A Star Ain't Nothin' But a Hole in Heaven this fall. Teisha would like to thank Dad, Mom, Armando, Marty and those closest to her for their love and support; Gary Holcombe, Ron Schaeffer, Jen Martin, Jeff Church, and Cynthia Levin for giving her a chance and believing.

 

Jaqwan Sirls (Austin Judge) is the co-owner of Happy Rhino Clothing Company and hip-hop Choreographer of the Miss Black Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska pageants.  He didn’t start his acting career until his freshman year of college, and since, has been in numerous plays, received two Irene Ryan nominations, and the opportunity to see his original play Ripped see it’s full production at Rockhurst University.  With future hopes of becoming a successful children’s book author as well as a professional playwright, screenwriter, and film actor, Jaqwan currently attends Rockhurst University majoring in the writing track of English with a minor in Theatre Arts.

Buy A House With No Walls tickets online NOW!

Call 816-531-PLAY x 10

Box Office Hours:

Monday-Friday 10-5pm

Saturday 12-4pm (During the run of the show)

 

 Unicorn Theatre offers $5.00 off for senior citizens and full-time students (with valid I.D.). Group rates are available, and students with valid I.D. can purchase Rush Tickets for $7.00 five minutes before curtain (based on availability)

SPECIAL THANKS
to those who generously donated their time, talents and services to this production:

National Endowment for the Arts

Financial assistance has been provided by Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.