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The Future of Theatre is Accessible

Accessible and inclusive theatre is not new. Nevertheless, more often than not, theatre companies today that are striving to include the disability community do so by welcoming disabled actors to their stages and disabled audiences to their performances. Yet there are dozens of jobs, on stage and off, beyond performers and patrons. In this series, a variety of disabled theatre artists: managers, designers, producers, and dramaturgs, will share how they do their work, as well as their vision for an accessible future in professional theatre. This series is curated by National Disability Theatre, which believes disabled artists and artisans are an asset to any theatrical process or production.

a person speaking in front of an audience
Disability and Management
Essay

Disability and Management

30 May 2019

Nicole Kelly and Jenn Poret, two arts managers with disabilities, reflect on the most and least accessible aspects of the jobs, accommodations they need, and the future of accessible theatre management.

two actors onstage
The Importance of Including the Disabled Designers
Essay

The Importance of Including the Disabled Designers

29 May 2019

Mallory Kay Nelson and Michael Maag talk about the low number of full-time designers working in theatre; the realities of costume, lighting, and projection design as a disabled artist; and how delegation is a skill they’ve both had to master.

a person in front of a colorful angel wings mural
Producing with a Disabled Lens
Essay

Producing with a Disabled Lens

28 May 2019

Claudia Alick talks about growing up as an abled youth and her sudden onset illness as an adult, how areas of inaccessibility in the theatre suddenly became hypervisible to her, “crip time,” and more.

three actors onstage
Disability, Identity, and Representation
Essay

Disability, Identity, and Representation

Notes from a Dramaturg

27 May 2019

Andrea Kovich talks about the glaring need for more disabled theatremakers, the importance of new plays and musicals, and working with a disabled dramaturg during a new work’s development.

A man in blue suit is speaking in a large conference room. Next to him is a woman in a green blouse and behind them is a woman in black suit ASL interpreting. They are all in front of a curtain which is lit in blues and yellows.
Nothing About Us Without Us
Essay

Nothing About Us Without Us

Innovation, Creativity, and Inclusion in Professional Theatre

26 May 2019

Talleri A. McRae and Mickey Rowe, co-founders of the National Disability Theatre, introduce their series “The Future of Theatre is Accessible,” talk about some key takeaways from the upcoming articles, and discuss how language is a barrier to inclusion.

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Series are collections of content curated around a specific theme. HowlRound works with curators to develop topical pieces meant to spotlight current events and happenings within the commons.