One in a Million

Running Time: One Act 50 mins | Grade Range: K-8

Touring: Currently not touring

Actors: 4 (2 male, 2 female | 7 characters)

ONE IN A MILLION paints a sensitive but unsentimental portrait of poverty and its effect on young people. It is also a hopeful call to realize the potential in all children regardless of their background or economic status.Sam is one of a million Canadian children living below the poverty line. His single mother, Louise, is unemployed and finds it a challenge to provide for Sam and his baby sister. Worried that other children at school will tease him, Sam invents a cozy family life, complete with a loving father and trips to Disneyland. Sam’s fantasy is shattered, however, when Louise gives an interview to a TV reporter at the food bank she frequents. He tries to run away from the life he was born into, only to realize the potential lies within him to change things in the future.Winner, Jessie Richardson Award, Outstanding Production for Young Audiences, 2002

Curriculum Connections: Poverty