World premiere play ‘Child Support’ at Camden Rep

Urgent, searing and wildly inventive, the world premiere of Child Support by Desi P. Shelton uses humor and hypertheatricality to examine single parenthood and financial responsibility from the points of view of everyone impacted by a broken system. A site-specific, immersive experience set in a typical Camden row house, the action is scored by composer Jamal P. Dickerson and features a live band under the eye of musical director JoJo Streater. Barrymore Award-winner Ozzie Jones directs for an October 13 opening, with performances running through October 28 at Camden Repertory Theatre. Public previews begin Sept. 28, and there will be two press previews (also open to the public) on Saturday, Oct. 7 and Sunday, Oct. 8.

A mother struggling to provide. A father trying to rise above his statistical odds. A daughter desperate to be loved. Child Support lays out the unspoken rules of a game in which everyone loses. The audience, seated in the living room of Camden Rep’s converted row house, will find themselves immersed in the world of a single Black mother and her 17-year old daughter, uneasy contestants on the “Child Support Game Show.”

“Fighting for child support is a no-win game with no right answers,” says Shelton. “Nobody scores in this competition, especially not the kids. When you win the ‘prize,’ when you get your money in court, is that really what you want for your child in the end? The game is your child’s life, and when you play, it creates a cycle for generations to come.”

Shelton stars as single mom Ajani alongside Chynah Michele as Muff. A theater artist and activist whose motto is “using the arts as a hammer,” Shelton founded Camden Rep in 2006 as a way to reach audiences not used to seeing themselves on stage.

“Desi’s work is brilliant because it’s so personal,” explains Jones. “She critiques social issues through the lens of her own experience. How do you draw the line between wanting to make your ex pay, in both the literal and figurative sense, and what the impact of that is on the child you created together? And how does the microcosm of one family impact society?”

As part of the immersive experience, the sidewalk leading up to the theater entrance will be decorated to look like a Monopoly board; patrons will enter the block on the “GO” square.

Child Support is a full-length, stand alone sequel to Shelton’s earlier play, I Killed My Baby’s Daddy. That solo piece, which detailed Ajani’s efforts to “kill” her feelings for her baby’s father and move on, was a breakout success for the company.

Performances of Child Support take place Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m.; Saturdays at 5 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. from October 13 through October 28. Previews take place September 28 through October 8.

Camden Repertory Theater is located at 445 Mechanic St. in Camden, NJ 08104. All tickets are $25. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (856) 438-8430 or visit www.camdenrep.com.