Why ought to these with disabilities and people with out come see DARK DISABLED STORIES?
RYAN J. HADDAD (RH): It’s horny and audacious and entertaining. It’s stunning and complex and messy and actual. This play is about on a regular basis encounters that disabled folks will discover humorous and tremendous relatable, whereas nondisabled folks will most likely discover them stunning and presumably absurd. The nice factor is that the tales in DARK DISABLED STORIES are pretty self-contained, so in the event you don’t like one, simply wait a couple of minutes and we’ll transfer on to the subsequent! We’re additionally making a multi-layered entry expertise that I hope disabled folks will discover very welcoming.
ALEJANDRA OSPINA (AO): Disabled folks will discover one thing to establish with on this present, whether or not or not they reside in New York, have cerebral palsy, or are Deaf. They are going to really feel with us, what it’s like to simply attempt to reside our grownup lives in a world that doesn’t count on or perceive us, as a result of it hasn’t been paying consideration. Individuals who aren’t a part of a incapacity group ought to come and be reminded that disabled individuals are in all places. We’re additionally humorous, horny, offended, gifted, exasperating and all the pieces else that anybody will be, and that doesn’t actually change as a result of we transfer by way of, talk with, and expertise the world in a means that is likely to be unfamiliar.
How do you’re feeling that the humanities trade is working to turn into extra accessible for performers/artists and attendees?
DICKIE HEARTS (DH): In an ideal world, Martha’s Winery, which as soon as had a big deaf inhabitants, would make a comeback the place everybody “spoke” signal language. Public bulletins would have both ASL interpretation or captions, whether or not in public transit or the shop. That’s actual entry. For the trade, there’s progress, which I recognize, but it surely’s not occurring quick sufficient, in contrast with our nondisabled friends. There may be by no means sufficient illustration of the Deaf, not to mention Deaf queer BIPOC.
It’s horny and audacious and entertaining. It’s stunning and complex and messy and actual.
Inform us a bit bit extra about your journey as a performer/artist.
RH: Again after I was a toddler, I might crawl round the lounge and act out traditional Disney princess motion pictures on my own, enjoying all of the components. Then I pressured my household to hitch me in enjoying the opposite components, and I referred to as it The Haddad Theater. These household performs lasted (shockingly) for eight years, after which I moved to youth, group, and academic theater. In school I met Tim Miller, an exquisite solo performer and mentor, who advised me I might make autobiographical work and play myself onstage, which is how I arrived on this path.
DH: As an actor, I’ve been within the trade for 12 years and have labored each in TV and onstage, which I equally love.
AO: As a younger disabled child in New York, I used to be shy, however I knew I favored the humanities, and I favored being round different children who did, too. But it surely took attending my very own “crip camp” in New Jersey and performing in its expertise exhibits to essentially catch the performing bug. I helped begin the Fearless Theater Firm in 1994, which sought to foster younger artists with and with out disabilities.
After that, I couldn’t fairly attain the alternatives and experiences that might assist me continue to grow as a disabled performer in a mainstream world. In 2018, I joined the inaugural cohort of the Theatre for All coaching program for Deaf and disabled actors at Queens Theatre. Since then, I’ve been capable of return to coaching and efficiency, alongside my work as an audio description supplier for blind and visually impaired audiences, and as an audiobook narrator.
DARK DISABLED STORIES at the moment runs from February 28 to March 26 at The Public Theater positioned at 425 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10003. The present gives Open Captions, Audio Descriptions, and American Signal Language at each efficiency. Extra data at opens in a brand new windowPublicTheater.Org/DDS.
