The Artistry of Accessibility: Creating Theatre with and for Students on the Autism Spectrum
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THE ARTISTRY OF ACCESSIBILITY: CREATING THEATRE WITH AND FOR STUDENTS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM by SARA R. BRUNOW B.F.A. Shenandoah University, 2005 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in the Department of Theatre in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2015 © 2015 Sara Brunow ii ABSTRACT Theatre is a place where all can come together and have an experience regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or ability. As a theatre maker and teaching artist, how do I create inclusion and augment social awareness by designing and implementing theatrical experiences for a specific audience? In this personal exploration of inclusive theatre practices (Sensory Friendly Theatre, Inclusive Arts Integration, and Multi-Sensory Theatre) I will examine my experience of creating and adapting theatre with and for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. My process has a three-pronged approach: adapting an established production using a Sensory Friendly model; adapting an arts integration facilitation in an inclusive elementary classroom; and collaboratively creating a sensory-based theatrical experience with other artists and students with cognitive disabilities. Through these experiences, I strive to uncover how developing theatre for this specific audience has challenged me to grow as an artist and activist. iii For Patricia Ruth Brunow, who would have been very proud to see her hardheaded granddaughter finally find her path and her passion. For my students, past, present, and future: In my life, I have never found anything more inspiring, more important, more forceful than the moments I spend with you and the discoveries I make with you. You are why I grow. You are why I dream. You are why I create. For John Bryan Brunow, the man with the ideas and the passion to change the world. For Celia Ann Brunow, who encourages me to learn, to grow, to balance, and to breathe. “If you asked me what I came to do in this world as an artist, I will answer you: I came to live out loud.” -Emile Zola iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This document could not have happened without the efforts of more than a handful of people. Firstly, I would like to thank my committee members, Kate Ingram, Christopher Neiss, and Kim Peter Kovak, for their guidance on this manifesto. I must thank my mentors at Orlando Repertory Theatre, Gary Cadwallader, Steve MacKinnon, and Jeffrey Revels, who gave me opportunities to grow in my artistry. To my professors at UCF, Vandy Wood, Sybil St. Claire, and Mark Routhier, thank you for giving me the tools I needed to accomplish my goals. To Alex Bailey Hodson, Jason Gerhard, Tara Kromer, Mark Nichols, and Ann Kinnebrew for their support and collaboration over these past two years. To Riley Braem, for being my professional partner in crime and understanding what in the world I was actually talking about. To Alicia Fuss and Rachel Hamilton for their professional guidance and the opportunity to just blab about it when I needed to. To Adam Spencer, who lovingly listened and challenged and supported. And a very special thanks goes to my thesis chair, Dr. Julia Listengarten, for her support and guidance. She has taught me to always look beyond the ordinary to find the extraordinary, to see the challenges and discover the possibilities. And mostly, I want to give thanks to those who literally made me what and who I am: my family. Without you, I would forget to breathe. Thank you for inspiring me to always inquire. “Always be arriving.” –Will Davis v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................... xi LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................................xii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND NOMENCLATURE ................................................................ xiii INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER ONE: THEATRE FOR ALL AUDIENCES: THE POSSIBILITY FOR ACCESSIBILITY ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................................................ 5 Statement of the Purpose ................................................................................................................................. 8 Methodologies ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 Theoretical Methodologies......................................................................................................................... 9 Inclusion Theory .......................................................................................................................................................... 9 Intentional Design ..................................................................................................................................................... 12 Play and Development ............................................................................................................................................. 13 Participation as Engagement ................................................................................................................................ 16 Practical Methodologies ........................................................................................................................... 21 Sensory Friendly Performances .......................................................................................................................... 22 Inclusive Arts Integration Residencies ............................................................................................................ 22 Multi-Sensory Theatre for Students with Complex Disabilities ............................................................ 23 Organization ....................................................................................................................................................... 24 Limitations as Possibilities ........................................................................................................................... 24 CHAPTER TWO: UNDERSTANDING OUR AUDIENCE: AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER AND SENSORY PROCESSING .................................................................................... 26 The Language of Autism Spectrum Disorder ........................................................................................ 27 vi What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? ........................................................................................................ 30 The Science of Sensory and Autism Spectrum Disorder .................................................................. 33 Reflection ............................................................................................................................................................. 37 CHAPTER THREE: SENSORY FRIENDLY PERFORMANCE AND ARTIST AS ADAPTOR ..................................................................................................................................................................... 39 What is Sensory Friendly Performance? ................................................................................................ 40 Sensory Friendly as Inclusion ................................................................................................................ 41 Engagement ................................................................................................................................................... 42 Intentional Adaptation for Sensory Friendly Performances ..................................................... 42 CHAPTER FOUR: SENSORY FRIENDLY PERFORMANCES AT ORLANDO REPERTORY THEATRE ................................................................................................................................................ 44 The Process ......................................................................................................................................................... 45 Pre-Show Considerations and Accommodations ........................................................................... 45 Research: Knowing the Audience and Community..................................................................................... 45 Observation: Structure and Space ...................................................................................................................... 47 Clear Expectations: Preparation for Show-Day .............................................................................. 49 Sensory Considerations: Outside the Theater .............................................................................................. 51 Performance Considerations and Accommodations .................................................................... 52 Research: Knowing the Show ............................................................................................................................... 52 Observation: Problems and Possibilities........................................................................................................