Disability and Theatre

Stephanie Barton­-Farcas is the Artistic Director of Nicu’s Spoon Theater Company. Founded in 2001, it is the first company in NYC history to be fully inclusive (age, gender, color, religion, disability, nationality). She is also the co­founder of the Disability Cinema Coalition. She recently directed Richard III with a disabled cast except for the title role and her company Nicu’s Spoon is the subject of the documentary Two and Twenty Troubles which follows the production of The Cherry Orchard and four of the disabled actors in it. She has been profiled in The NY Times, Variety, American Theater Magazine and Playbill as a director and advocate. As a writer she has been published in Backstage, Howlround and many other disability or theater publications as well as lecturing and teaching at SAGAFTRA, AEA and many film and theatre industry associations and colleges (Columbia, NYU) in the US and in Europe (CEU in Hungary, University of Riga, University of Kiev, Royal Conservatoire Scotland among others) about inclusion in the arts.

• TABLE OF CONTENTSDedicationPREFACECHAPTER 1: WHY THIS BOOK?CASE STUDY 1: A Seizure on stage. NICU’S SPOON Theater Company, New York City.CHAPTER 2: WHAT IS INCLUSION?A: The most standard misconceptions people have about disability and inclusion and why they are wrong.B: The reasons theaters, college training programs or practitioners are not inclusive.C: The wrong reasons to be inclusive.CASE STUDY 2: Stage Manager in a wheelchair. NICU’S SPOON Theater Company, New York City.CHAPTER 3: VOCABULARY AND PERCEPTIONCASE STUDY 3: Disabled artist as villain. NICU’S SPOON Theater Company, New York City.CHAPTER 4: RECRUITING AND FINDING ARTISTSCHAPTER ACTION: Write an audition ad.CASE STUDY 4: DIONYSUS THEATER In Houston, TX. Deborah Nowinski, Artistic DirectorCHAPTER 5: AUDITIONS AND CALLBACKSCHAPTER ACTION: Make an audition or callback checklistCASE STUDY 5: Can an actor who is deaf speak? NICU’S SPOON Theater Company, New York City.CHAPTER 6: REHEARSALSCASE STUDY 6: Snow White & Richard III, NICU’S SPOON Theater Company, New York City.CHAPTER 7: BLOCKING AND FIGHT SEQUENCESCASE STUDY 7: Think outside the box for accessible sets and non-standard staging. NICU’S SPOON Theater Company, New York City.CHAPTER ACTION: A seven point list of how to proceed to do a cast dance for a period play.CHAPTER 8: COSTUMES, PROPS AND MAKEUPCASE STUDY 8: Opening the Door. PHAMALY Theater, Denver, ColoradoCHAPTER 9: TECHNICAL REHEARSALS AND FINAL DRESSCASE STUDY 9: A large disabled and diverse cast in technical rehearsal. NICU’S SPOON Theater Company, New York City.CHAPTER 10: PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MARKETINGCASE STUDY 10: PHAMALY Theater Company, Denver, ColoradoCHAPTER ACTION: CREATE YOUR PR AND MARKETING PLANCHAPTER 11: THE PERFORMANCE RUN AND STRIKECHAPTER ACTION: The strike worklist and delegating.CASE STUDY 11: A blind actor and discovering colors. NICU’S SPOON Theater Company, New York City.CHAPTER 12: TECHNICAL CREW AND TECHNICAL DESIGNSCASE STUDY 12: THAT UPPITY THEATER COMPANY, St. Louis, Missouri.CHAPTER 13: ACADEMIC TRAINING, ASSESSMENT AND SUSTAINABILITYCHAPTER ACTION: How well is your institution doing?CASE STUDY 13: The Glass Menagerie, a personal case study. Christine Bruno.CHAPTER 14: ASSESSMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THEATERSCASE STUDY 14: TBI and mental disabilities. NICU’S SPOON Theater Company, New York City.CHAPTER ACTION: Assess your theater for sustainability.CHAPTER 15: AFTERWORDCASE STUDY 15: GIDEON PRODUCTIONS, New York City.CHAPTER 16: CASE STUDY OUTCOMESBIBLIOGRAPHY AND RESOURCESWEBSITES AS RESOURCESASSOCIATIONS AND INCLUSIVE THEATER COMPANIESLIST OF PHOTOGRAPHSNOTES ON CONTRIBUTORSGLOSSARY