No One Comes Back

No One Comes Back is a deeply moving solo performance that tells the story of twins bound by blood and separated by circumstance. When the brother becomes a fighter pilot and is sent off to war, his sister is left behind—forced into confronting the war she never chose, both literally and emotionally. The narrative weaves together vivid, sometimes surreal imagery—cornfields, bombings, deer eyeballs, and shamans—to explore not just what it means to live in a war zone, but how trauma echoes in the lives of those who survive. It asks tough questions: can the sister ever truly be free from the war, and what does it mean to try to save someone when no one ever really comes back unchanged?

The performance is spearheaded by Maureen Gleason (writer & performer), with direction and shaping by Stephanie LeBolt, and design elements from Arina Slobodianik (costume & stage design) and lighting by Tina Kovalski. Alex Connaughton’s original music and Mary Kelly’s literary dramaturgy help to heighten the emotional layers—so that moments of silence or stillness can feel just as potent as scenes of chaos