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Playbill for A Fierce Kind of Love (Cover images: two young women in a dance move looking toward each other with their arms extended and reaching forward so their hands touch. Also, Institute on Disabilities at Temple University logo) A Fierce Kind of Love A new play by Suli Holum Directed by David Bradley The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University is one of the sixty-seven University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1974, The Institute learns from and works with people with disabilities and their families in diverse communities across Pennsylvania to create and share knowledge, change systems, and promote self-determined lives so that disability is recognized as a natural part of the human experience. We believe in a society where all people are valued and respected, and where all people have the knowledge, opportunity and power to improve their lives and the lives of others. www.temple.edu/disabilities The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage is a multidisciplinary grantmaker and hub for knowledge sharing, funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, and dedicated to fostering a vibrant cultural community in Greater Philadelphia. The Center fulfills this mission by investing in ambitious, imaginative arts and heritage projects that showcase the region’s cultural vitality and enhance public life, and by engaging in an exchange of ideas concerning artistic and interpretive practice with a broad network of cultural leaders. For more information, visit www.pcah.us. The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University presents A Fierce Kind of Love: A new play by Suli Holum Directed by David Bradley Sound Design Christopher Colucci Choreography Nichole Canuso Scenic Design Colin McIlvaine Lighting Design Lily Fossner Costume Design Rosemarie McKelvey Stage Manager Chelsea Sanz Producer Lisa Sonneborn Guest Producer Ken Klaus Major support for A Fierce Kind of Love is provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. The videotaping and other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited. [logos: The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC)] A Note from the Producer Tonight’s performance is the culmination of a journey that began at a diner on Frankford Avenue-— The Trolley Car. Some of you have heard this story before. I was having breakfast with two friends — mentors really—who have taught me what it means to parent a child with a disability. As I listened, enthralled, to the stories of Dee Coccia and Maureen Devaney (mothers with about 80 years of disability activism between them) I blurted out, “We need to get these stories in writing before you die!” There, in that diner on Frankford Avenue, the Visionary Voices project was born. The project has taken on a life I would have never expected—oral histories, archives, a photographic essay, audio interviews of people with disabilities living and working in segregated settings, and now a play—A Fierce Kind of Love. My esteemed colleague Sue Swenson lost her son Charlie several years ago. In a Listserv devoted to the inclusion of people with disabilities Sue was describing the love of a child with a disability. She described it succinctly—it’s a fierce kind of love. And the play was named. The telling of stories is, in many ways, an act of faith. The teller invites the listener in and, by listening, barriers are broken down. A Fierce Kind of Love tells stories you may not know—stories of fierce advocates like Leona Fialkowski, Ginny Thornburgh and Roland Johnson among others. Stories of parents and children; brothers and sisters; teachers and friends. For forty years, these stories have belonged to the disability community; tonight they belong to us all. Celia S. Feinstein, Co-Executive Director, Institute on Disabilities at Temple University A Note from the Director Here Now We began making this play with two days we called “Listening Days.” Suli and I met parents and siblings of people with disabilities and self-advocates and long-time professionals who worked in the disability community. We were ready to ask lots of questions. But we only had to ask the first one. Everyone was that ready to share. We just had to listen. Last month, another part of this project opened at City Hall—an exhibit of photographs and stories of people with intellectual disabilities who live in Selinsgrove Center or work at KenCrest Services. The exhibit is called, simply, “Here.” Listen. Here. Here, listen. Listen—here. That’s a pretty good way to enter into the audience of A Fierce Kind of Love. No matter how you got to this room, or where you came from, or whom you are with, or who or what you know in regards to this play, we celebrate that you are here. Now. No matter how you listen—with ears, or eyes, or whole body—and whether you know some of these stories from before or are hearing them for the first time, we’re grateful for your listening. We’ve thought of A Fierce Kind of Love as an “event” as much as a “play.” The event of this diverse cast. The event of names like Eleanor Elkin or Leona Fiakowski taking center stage. The event of personal stories—some triumphant, some painful—shared for the first time. The event of people who speak with voices and people who speak with hands, people who move on legs and people who move on wheels all making something. In making this play, way more than any other play I’ve done, I’ve become conscious of the wildly varied ways we live in the world. Each of us with our abilities. Each of us with the things we struggle with. Each of us with a fierce capacity to shut people out or let people in. And how hard it is to embrace the event of being here, together. That’s all part of this story. This is a story about all of us. It’s happening right now. Thanks for listening. We’re glad you’re here. David Bradley, Director Cast (in alphabetical order) Shawn Aelong Charlie DelMarcelle* Lee Ann Etzold* Michael McLendon Lori McFarland Erin McNulty Marcia Saunders* Cathy Simpson* Brian Anthony Wilson* *Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), founded in 1913, represents more than 50,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theater as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence. www.actorsequity.org (Actors’ Equity Logo) About the Artists Suli Holum, Playwright Suli Holum is an award-winning director, performer, choreographer and playwright based in Brooklyn, NY. She is Co-Artistic Director of Stein | Holum Projects (SHP) with playwright Deborah Stein. SHP projects include: Drama Desk nominated solo show Chimera, developed at HERE, premiered at Under The Radar and toured to The Gate, London; Movers and Shakers, recipient of the Loewe Award from New Dramatists and developed at UCSD; The Wholehearted commissioned by ArtsEmerson, developed at FringeArts and supported by the New England Foundation of the Arts National Touring Project; and Man Camp, currently under construction. Holum was a co-founder of Pig Iron Theatre Company, developing original work between 1995 and 2006 including as a creator/performer in Shut Eye with legendary director Joseph Chaikin, and playwright for Gentlemen Volunteers, awarded a ‘Spirit of the Fringe’ Award at Edinburgh Fringe and published in Pig Iron: 3 Plays (53rd Street Press). Her first solo show, The Lollipop Projects, was developed through an Independence Foundation Individual Artist Fellowship and a Shell Fellowship in Drama from the National Institute of Education, Singapore. Her other recent work as a devising writer of new performance includes Wandering Alice with Nichole Canuso Dance Company and Oedipus at FDR with Emmanuelle Delpech, Fighting for Democracy at the National Constitution Center, and One Beach Road with RedCape Theatre, UK. Her work has been supported by Workhaus Collective, The Playlabs Festival at the Playwrights Center, NACL, Perry Mansfield New Works Festival and Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Swarthmore Project, the Creativity Fund at New Dramatists, ArtsEmerson, New Georges, Clubbed Thumb, and Playwrights’ Horizons. She teaches at Pace University. David Bradley, Director David Bradley is a director, producer and teaching artist whose work includes making plays, leading a range of boundary-crossing artistic collaborations and exploring civic and community themes through the arts. A long-time company member at People’s Light, his more than 30 productions include Row After Row, Of Mice and Men, The Crucible, A View From the Bridge, Young Lady From Rwanda, Doubt, The Giver and three holiday pantos. David is Founding Director of LiveConnections, which creates innovative, collaborative music programs for adults and youth out of partner venue World Cafe Live. He’s Artistic Director of Living News, in its 10th season of dramatizing Constitutional issues at the National Constitution Center, where he also directed the exhibition/theater hybrid Fighting for Democracy, written by Suli Holum. He’s a frequent collaborator with Philadelphia Young Playwrights, leading a range of multigenerational collaborations, including directing The Lost Hour at the Kimmel Center for the 2013 Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts. David is a participating artist with Outside the Wire, which creates theater projects addressing public health and social issues, and has led and facilitated projects for them at conferences and military bases across the country and in the Middle East. He teaches at Arcadia University and has taught at University of the Arts. David is a graduate of Yale University. He lives in West Mt. Airy with his wife Margaret and sons Jacob and Noah. For Michele and her parents, with love and appreciation. Lisa Sonneborn, Producer For over twenty years, Lisa’s documentary film and video work has been used to promote social action in the disability community. As producer of the Institute on Disabilities’ A Fierce Kind of Love and Visionary Voices projects, Lisa works to preserve the history of Pennsylvania’s Intellectual Disability Rights Movement through oral history interviews with the Movement’s leaders, the preservation of archival documents significant to the Movement and public performance. Lisa hopes you’ll enjoy this unique telling of a largely untold civil rights story. She has fierce love for this gifted group of artists and for all those who shared their stories. For my family and for my father—love you most. Shawn Aleong, actor, is excited and humbled to be making his debut with A Fierce Kind of Love. Shawn is a graduate of Davison High school, where he was the Valedictorian of his class. While at school, he was very involved in the music program, playing the xylophone for school concerts and performing with the school choir. Shawn currently attends Temple University, where he is studying law. He is involved with many campus organizations including Temple Student Government, Temple Black Law Association, and the NAACP where he serves on the State Board as Juvenile Justice Chair. He also serves on the board of the ARC of Philadelphia. He is passionate about advocating for the rights of people with disabilities. Shawn would like to thank his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for this amazing opportunity, his mother Janice, his step-father Ivy, his family and friends, his Sharon Baptist Church Family, the Institute on Disabilities, and his Temple University family. Special thanks to Celia, Lisa, David and Suli. Charlie DelMarcelle, actor, has appeared at: The Walnut Street Theatre, Pig Iron Theatre Company., Theater Horizon, Delaware Theatre Co., Inis Nua, The Lantern Theatre, Azuka Theatre Collective, EgoPo Classic Theatre, Commonwealth Classic Theatre, Delaware Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare in Clark Park, White Box Theatre, and Amaryllis. He is so very pleased and incredibly honored to have been part of this process. Special thanks to Lisa, Suli, David, John, Chris, Colin, Chelsea and this incredibly supportive cast and crew. Lee Ann Etzold, actor, is a Philadelphia-based theatre artist who has worked in the UK, Spain, France, Czech Republic, and regionally in the US. She is a founding member of OBIE awardwinning physical theatre company, New Paradise Laboratories, and has also created original work independently, and with Pig Iron Theatre Company, Headlong Dance Theatre, Lucidity Suitcase Intercontinental, Charlotte Ford, and Tony Award winner, Bill Irwin (Barrymore Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play). A Virginia Tech grad, she studied clown in Paris, completed the Lincoln Center Theater’s, Director’s Lab, in New York, and is a member of the Young Vic Directors Programme in London. She is a teaching artist and has also directed new works for Philly Young Playwrights, 1812 Productions, Brat Productions, Brian Sanders’ JUNK, and is creating neighborhood art in South Philadelphia. So thankful for her loving family, this beautiful cast, and this fierce project. Michael McLendon, actor, is excited to be making his debut with A Fierce Kind of Love. Michael is a graduate of Furness High School and Temple University’s Academy for Adult Learning. While attending the Academy, Michael took an acting class, which is when his interest in performing began. When not performing, Michael works as an office assistant for the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University. He enjoys relaxing at home and watching NetFlix with his fiancé Charlene. Michael would like to thank David Bradley and Suli Holum for helping him to become a great actor. He would also like to thank choreographer Nichole Canuso and all the Fierce cast and crew. Lori McFarland, actor, is looking forward to making her debut in A Fierce Kind of Love. As a self-advocate, Lori is excited to be part of a play that explores the diversity of the disability community. Lori wears many different hats when advocating for herself and others. She serves on the Futures Planning Committee of the Office of Developmental Programs and she is a member of Self-Advocates United as 1. Lori’s advocacy takes her to Harrisburg frequently. When not advocating or performing, Lori keeps busy with needlepoint, shopping and reading. She also works at APS Day Program and belongs to the Handicap Crusaders club of Levittown. Lori would like to thank her support group, friends, co-workers and especially her family for helping her to find the courage to become an actor. She would also like to thank her mother, who is her guardian angel, for bringing her into the world. Erin McNulty, actor, is delighted to be making her debut with A Fierce Kind of Love. While attending St. Katherine Day School/Archbishop Carroll HS, Erin performed in 12 plays, including Beauty and the Beast, Aida, Seussical and West Side Story. Erin is a 2013 graduate of Temple University’s Academy for Adult Learning where her interests included public speaking, interpretive dance and an acting class. While enrolled at Temple, Erin became involved with A Fierce Kind of Love as a cast member from its inception. When not performing, Erin also works at Giant and TJ Maxx where she works as a customer service associate and an inventory clerk. Erin enjoys Special Olympics, music, bowling, spending time with her girlfriends, watching Project Runway and numerous other activities. She would like to thank Lisa Sonneborn, David Bradley, LeeAnn Etzold and all the members of the cast and crew, as well as her parents. Marcia Saunders, actor, has been an active member of the acting company with The People’s Light and Theater since 1976 appearing in over 85 productions. She most recently played Mrs. Jennings in Sense and Sensibility. Over the past four years Marcia’s has immensely enjoyed participating in the many workshops that have helped to shape and create this final production of A Fierce Kind of Love. A big thank you goes out to Lisa, David, Suli, Christopher, Nicole and the entire creative staff and cast connected with this production. It’s been one joyful theatrical ride!! Cathy Simpson, actor, is a company member of People’s Light and the “Freedom Rising” Company at the National Constitution Center. Her work in some local theaters include InterAct, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Philly Shakes, Hedgerow Theatre, Arden Theatre, Wilma Theater, Flashpoint Theatre and Theatre Horizon. Regional theater credits include, Arena Stage, The Kennedy Center, Studio Theatre, Source Theatre, Wooly Mammoth, Olney Theatre Center, St. Louis Black Rep, St. Louis Rep., Indiana Rep. She is a three-time Barrymore nominee and a winner for the Freedom Theatre production of The Old Settler, and a Kevin Kline Award winner for St. Louis Black Rep’s production of A Song for Coretta. She has also been nominated twice for the Helen Hayes Awards in Washington D.C. and won the Best Performer Award in Toyama, Japan. Her film and television credits include, local television commercials, PBS Educational Series, Indy films as well as First Run Films. This show is for my mother who dedicated her life to the education of those with intellectual challenges! Brian Anthony Wilson, actor, is honored to have been a member of this diverse and wonderful cast from the beginning! Recent Theater: Driving Miss Daisy (Act II Playhouse), All My Sons (People’s Light), The Last Jimmy (Grand Performances, L.A.), Hand’s Up (Flashpoint), Rage of Achilles (Commonwealth Classic) and A Midsummer’s Night Dream (Phila. Shakespeare Co.). Film/TV credits include : CREED, The Benefactor, Crooked and Narrow, When The Moon Was Twice As Big, Zombie Killers: E.G., Assumption of Risk, Limitless / Blue Bloods, Broad City, Do No Harm, Law and Order: SVU, The Sopranos and The Wire. Many thanks to David, Suli and Lisa for this amazing opportunity. For my Family. Kenneth S. Klaus, Guest Producer Ken Klaus is a passionate supporter of Temple’s Institute on Disabilities Visionary Voices initiative and is excited to be a sponsor of A Fierce Kind Of Love. No stranger to intellectual disabilities, he grew up watching, learning and living with the significant challenges of his extended family members. After decades of strife under extremely harsh conditions, including an interminable stay at Ebensburg State School and Hospital, his first-cousin with Down syndrome is now living happily and comfortably in a suburban Philadelphia group home. She is safe and comfortable there and enjoys time with her sister, who continues in the tireless role as her lead advocate. As a lifetime resident of the Philadelphia area, Ken remains deeply committed to social justice. He is a past member of the Board of S.C.A.N, Inc. (Supportive Child-Adult Network, or Stop Child Abuse Now) and is now retired after a career in project management in the field of Information Technology. He also serves as a volunteer for Surrey Senior Services of Devon, PA. Christopher Colucci, Music, Sound Design Christopher’s recent projects include Metamorphoses (Arden); Disgraced (PTC); Peter and the Starcatcher (Walnut); Smoke (Theater Exile). Christopher has received seven Barrymore Awards for Outstanding Original Music and Sound Design as well as an Independence Foundation Fellowship in the Arts in 2012. For more sounds please visit http://soundcloud.com/cmsound and http://www.youtube.com/user/cmsound Nichole Canuso, Choreographer Nichole is the artistic director of Nichole Canuso Dance, which she founded in 2004. She has performed and collaborated with Headlong, Pig Iron Theater Company, Theater Exile, Early Morning Opera, Bill Irwin. Support for Canuso’s choreography includes grants from The National Endowment for the Arts and The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage and choreographic residencies at Maggie Allesse National Center for Choreography (MANCC), Millay Colony for the Arts (NY), BiLateral Exchange (Budapest, Hungary). She is currently on faculty at Headlong Performance Institute (HPI) and Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training (APT). She has big love for everyone working on this project. Colin McIlvaine, Scenic Designer Colin’s most recent design credits include: Smoke (Theatre Exile), Lights Rise on Grace (Azuka Theatre), According to Goldman (Act 2 Playhouse), Three Christs of Manhattan (Interact Theatre). Colin’s recent assistant and associate design credits include: Futurity (Soho Rep/Ars Nova), Dr. Dog: Swamp is On (Pig Iron/Dr. Dog), Sunset 0639 (BalletX). In addition to his freelance career, Colin is an adjunct lecturer at The University of the Arts. B.A. University of Maryland; MFA Scenic Design Temple University. www.colinmcilvaine.com Lily Fossner, Lighting Designer Lily’s theatre credits Include: People’s Light, Act II, TACT, Culture Project/Public Theatre, Prospect Theater Company, NYU/Grad Acting, Chautauqua Theater Company, Berkshire Theatre Festival, and Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Her dance credits Include: Doug Varone and Dancers, Monica Bill Barnes and Company, and Wideman/Davis Dance. Opera credits Include: Juilliard Opera Theatre, Glimmerglass Festival / Training: MFA, NYU/Tisch. See Lily’s work at lilyfossner.com Rosemarie McKelvey, Costume Designer Rosemarie is a Philadelphia based costume designer. Locally she designs for Arden Theatre, People’s Light and Theatre, Wilma Theatre, New Paradise Labs, 1812 Productions, Curtis Institute of Music, and Villanova University. Rosemarie is a nine time Barrymore Award Nominee and was awarded in 2007 and 2009. Rosemarie attended the 2011 Prague Quadrennial Festival with The Philadelphia Theatre Initiative and was granted a fellowship through the Independence Foundation to travel to London and investigate what new advances in technology and science are being used in art and design. Rosemarie is an adjunct professor at Moore College of Art and Design. rosemariemckelvey.com Chelsea Sanz, Stage Manager Chelsea is ecstatic to be a part of this production. Chelsea’s recent stage management credits include: G4 Productions (Menopause the Musical and Motherhood the Musical), Theatre Horizon (Lobby Hero, In The Blood, Holiday Show, Complete Works Abridged), The Lantern Theater Company (Arcadia), White Pines Productions (Luckiest Kid/The Music You Remember), Act II Playhouse/Society Hill Playhouse (ASM for RESPECT: The Musical Journey of Women and On Golden Pond). Up Next: Fully Committed with Theatre Horizon. Chelsea is a proud member of Actors’ Equity. Love to Mia. Betsy Pierce, Assistant Stage Manager Betsy is thrilled to be working on this production. Past shows include: Lantern Theatre Co: Oscar Wilde: From the Depths (Board Op), Taming of the Shrew (Board Op), Arcadia (Run Crew). People’s Light: My Mother Has 4 Noses (ASM), Dear Elizabeth (ASM), Pride and Prejudice (ASM), Cinderella: A Musical Panto (ASM), Noises Off (ASM). John Flak, Production Manager John Flak is excited to be working on such an inspirational production and to being a part of this amazing company. John has been a theater professional for over 26 years in Chicago, Vermont, New York and Philadelphia. John is also a photographer and he loves to cook. Much love and thanks to my family—Jenny, Rainey and Harper. Seth Thomas Schmitt-Hall, Technical Director Seth Thomas is the Technical Director at Abington Friends School, where he can corrupt young minds with a career in the Arts. Seth is a freelance Technical Director, working in the past with Spoleto Festival USA, Opera Philadelphia, The Bearded Ladies, and Pig Iron Theatre Co.. He has also designed around the Philadelphia area including Lantern Theater, Villanova University, Delaware County Community College, and the kids series at the Walnut Street Theater. Education: Temple (BA) and Villanova (MA). Love to Sara. Chris Sannio, Audio Engineer Chris is a Philadelphia based sound designer, composer, and engineer. Proud to be working with this group of artists, Chris also heads up the audio department at FringeArts and is the audio engineer for Jazz it Up Philly. Recent engineering credits include Daniel Wohl’s Holographic, Adam Rudolph’s Go Organic Guitar Orchestra, and ALT/MODE by Anonymous Bodies featuring Chuck Treece and Ryat. Favorite design credits include Audi Feastival 2015 (FringeArts), Revolution and a Sandwich (Shakedown Project), Listen to Me (Bryn Mawr College), and The Bald Soprano (Curio Theatre Company). Hands UP Productions Hands Up is thrilled to be partnering with the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University to provide American Sign Language (ASL) accessibility for this creative, innovative and inclusive production. As Hands UP Productions, Donna Ellis and Brian Morrison have enjoyed providing ASL interpreted accessibility to many local theaters, Broadway tours, concert venues, museum exhibits and many more cultural events throughout the Philadelphia region. They are looking forward to beginning their 10th anniversary season this fall. Congratulations to the entire team of A Fierce Kind of Love! Brandice Mazick, ASL/English Interpreter Brandice is a nationally certified ASL/English Interpreter who has been working in the Philadelphia area for 17 years. She been interpreting specifically in the theater off and on for the past 10 years. In her previous life, Brandice was a social worker and direct care staff person for adults with intellectual disabilities and working on AFKOL has been a wonderful moment of synergy between those two worlds. She is honored and humbled to have been a part of this production and has enjoyed every moment of its evolution. Kerry Patterson, ASL/English Interpreter Kerry is ecstatic to be joining AFKOL for her first theater experience! She has been working in the Deaf community for the past five years, and is a soon-to-be graduate of the Interpreter Training Program at Community College of Philadelphia. This opportunity would not be possible without the guidance and support from Brandi and Heather- you guys are AMAZING! Most important, thank you to the incredible AFKOL cast and crew for an experience I will never forget. Heather Schmerman, ASL/English Interpreter Heather Schmerman is a Chicago native and currently resides in Philadelphia. She has been a professional American Sign Language Instructor and Coach for over seven years. She has consulted with theater interpreters on more than 15 plays and musicals. Heather has been performing in plays since 1988 and received theatre training at the Center on the Deafness in Chicago, as well as acted in the CenterLight Family Theatre, the Apple Tree Theatre, the Bailiwick Chicago Theatre, and the Youth Scholar Program at Gallaudet University. She has enjoyed ASL consulting with the People’s Light & Theatre Company and the Broadway Theater in Philadelphia for the performances of Cinderella, Porgy Bess, South Pacific, Annie, Once, Sound of Music and many more. Heather holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and is a certified American Sign Language Teacher’s Association member. Heather has also taught workshops on non-verbal and visual communication in the medical field and other professional environments. She is also fluent in Australian Sign Language and has provided many Australian leadership workshops. A Fierce Kind of Love is Heather’s first collaboration with the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University and she is thrilled to be part of the team! Corrin Zimmerman, ASL/English Interning Interpreter Corri Zimmerman is an interning interpreter who studied at the Community College of Philadelphia. She is overjoyed to be working with Hands Up Productions for the very first time for this production. The opportunity to combine her love of theater with her passion for interpreting has been one that she will continue to cherish for years to come. Corri has learned so much in her life from her sister, Erin, who has autism and OCD; her strength and resilience has long been an inspiration. Working on AFKOL has been an amazing experience which gave an incredible sense of community. It has been a honor to be a part of the show! Liz Green, Community Engagement Consultant Liz Green designs audience engagement and community performance programs with her company Arts Approach. She is the director for the documentary theater company OnStage Seniors at McCarter Theatre and a frequent Audience Experience Manager for Team Sunshine Performance Corporation. Past partners include JJ Tiziou Photography’s How Philly Moves, FringeArts’ presentation of Rimini Protokoll’s 100% Philadelphia, Shakespeare in Clark Park’s Henry IV: Your Prince and Mine, and The Mendelssohn Club’s Turbine. She studied performance and civic dialogue with Sojourn Theatre, documentary theater with Ping Chong and Company, and is earning a Master in Social Work Degree at Temple University. Roger Ideshi, Arts and Accessibility Advisor Roger I. Ideishi, JD, OT/L, FAOTA is Program Director and Associate Professor of Temple University’s Program in Occupational Therapy. He advises various cultural arts organizations on building meaningful experiences for individuals with cognitive and developmental disabilities. The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts and the Smithsonian Institution (Washington, DC), Imagination Stage (Bethesda, MD), Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and Andy Warhol Museum (Pittsburgh, PA), New Jersey Center for Aquatic Science (Camden, NJ), People’s Light Theatre (Malvern, PA), Walnut Street Theatre (Philadelphia, PA) are a few of the community organizations where he advises on arts and accessibility. Nick Jonczak, Box Office Manager Nick is a freelance creative producer and production manager of artistic projects and events ranging in scale and timeline. A 2015 graduate of the Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training, Nick also performs and produces work with Almanac Dance Circus Theatre (www.thealmanac.us). He serves as the production manager for the non-profit Invisible River (www.invisibleriver.org), which hosts an annual all-day community event culminating in a live aerialist dance performance on the Schuylkill River with more than 1,000 participants and spectators in attendance. Recently he founded Seven Engines (www.sevenengines.com), which provides administrative and production support for independent artists and events. Michaela Moore, Box Office Assistant Manager Michaela Moore is a Theatre Devisor/Producer/Performer who has premiered shows locally, nationally and internationally. She is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, has a graduate certificate in devised theatre from The Pig Iron School for Advanced Performing Training and is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in devised theatre from The University of the Arts. She is the founder of both All About Theatre Performing Arts School and Camp Create, a comprehensive arts camp for children with intellectual, emotional and physical disabilities. She teaches acting and theater devising to adult students with intellectual disabilities and they teach her everything else. She is thrilled to be a part of A Fierce Kind of Love. Production Team o Ben Levan, Master Electrician o Joe Daniels, Carpenter o Rajiv Shah, Carpenter o Lucas Nguyen, Electrician o Kelly Orenshaw, Electrician o Erick Alfisi, Electrician About our Partners JJ Tiziou, Photographer Jacques-Jean “JJ” Tiziou is a photographer specializing in portraiture and movement documentation; he has never encountered an un-photogenic person in his life. He has been recognized as one of Philadelphia’s “Creative Connectors” by Leadership Philadelphia, and is the recipient of the Spiral-Q Artist Activist Award. His images are used both in corporate and editorial contexts as well as arts and activism, and he also photographs weddings and hosts house concerts. His 85,000 sq ft How Philly Moves mural at PHL International Airport was recognized as one of the nation’s best public art projects by Americans for the Arts in their 2012 Public Art Network Year in Review. You can find more of his work online at www.jjtiziou.net, www.HowPhillyMoves.org and there’s a message that he’d like to share with you at www.EveryoneIsPhotogenic.com. Nicki Pombier Berger, Oral Historian Nicki Pombier Berger is an oral historian working at the intersection of intellectual disability and social change. Nicki is a graduate of the Oral History Master of Arts program at Columbia University (2013), where she was a Graduate Fellow in the Future of Disability Studies Group at the Center for the Study of Social Difference. The centerpiece of her Masters Thesis, Nothing About Us Without Us, is an online collection of multimedia stories from self-advocates with Down syndrome. She has presented alongside self-advocates about oral history and intellectual disability to a variety of audiences, including individuals with Down syndrome and their family members, oral historians, academics and advocates. Nicki lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her two sons, Jackson, and Jonah, who has Down syndrome. Art-Reach Art-Reach connects traditionally under-served audiences with cultural experiences so they may enjoy and benefit from the transformative power of the arts. Art-Reach operates on the belief that the robust culture of our region should be available to everyone, and proudly partners with those cultural venues, human-service agencies, and individuals who agree. For 27 years, Art-Reach programs have empowered human service organizations to enrich the lives of their constituents while continuing to deliver high quality service to their community. Through those partnerships, people with physical and developmental disabilities, low-income individuals, at-risk youth and the elderly in need, are all able to deeply engage with the arts with the same confidence and convenience as their fully-abled counterparts. Art-Reach collaborates with over 175 arts institutions and teaching artists, and serve the constituents of over 170 human-service agencies in greater Philadelphia. Annually, Art-Reach serves over 17,000 individuals in our region. First Person Arts First Person Arts’ mission is to transform the drama of real life into memoir and documentary art to foster appreciation for our unique and shared experiences. First Person Arts (FPA) uses personal stories as a catalyst for dialogue, healing, and community building. We work with individuals from diverse neighborhoods and backgrounds, the region’s premier institutions and artists from multiple disciplines to build a more tolerant, inclusive community through storytelling. Our combined live and online audience is 133,000. Personal stories generated at live events are disseminated to a broad regional and national audience through our weekly First Person Arts Podcast, curated by an award-winning executive producer; and 255 raw, unedited stories uploaded to our You Tube channel. The 12th Annual First Person Arts Festival was nominated for “Best Philadelphia Event” in 2014. Animating Democracy Pam Korza and Barbara Schaffer Bacon co-direct Animating Democracy, a program of Americans for the Arts that inspires, informs, promotes, and connects arts and culture as potent contributors to community, civic, and social change. Pam Korza has consulted and offered workshops and presentations on the principles and practices of arts and civic engagement for artists, cultural organizations, funders, and at crosssector gatherings across the country as well as at colleges and universities. Pam serves as a National Advisory Board member for Imagining America, a consortium of colleges and universities that supports public scholarship and practice to strengthen the public role and democratic purposes of the humanities, arts, and design through mutually beneficial campuscommunity partnerships. Barbara Schaffer Bacon, in addition to co-directing Animating Democracy, provides leadership for Local Arts Advancement at Americans for the Arts. She has worked as a consultant in program design and evaluation for state and local arts agencies and private foundations nationally. Barbara served as a trainer/advisor in engagement and dialogue facilitation for Pennsylvania Quest for Freedom Live and Learn Weekends designed to connect hospitality, history, and the humanities to create unique travel experiences at Pennsylvania’s Underground Railroad and the Civil War historic sites. She is president of the Arts Extension Institute, Inc. and serves on the board of WomanArts, and is a member of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. A Brief History of Institutional Care in Pennsylvania In the mid nineteenth century, the creation of specialized institutions to care for, educate and train people with intellectual disabilities became the dominant nationwide political response to intellectual disability. In the face of overcrowding and underfunding, however, this mission was quickly abandoned. Institutions in Pennsylvania and across the country became large-scale custodial warehouses. Two of Pennsylvania’s flagship institutions, Polk and Pennhurst, were designed to house 800 ‘patients’. Each grew to house more than three thousand residents at their peak. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania would eventually run 14 institutions for people with intellectual disabilities, 5 of which continue to operate and are now referred to as State Centers. From 1950 to 1980, Pennsylvania received national attention for both its institutional scandals and its efforts at reform. To address problems of institutional abuse and overcrowding, in the 1950’s and early 60’s parents focused on institutional expansion and reform while also encouraging the growth of community services as an alternative to institutional care. At this time, institutions and community services were seen complimentary service systems, offering parents a range of options for their children. By the late 1960’s, parents grew increasingly frustrated by the lack of institutional reform and lack of support for community services. Many adopted a position of “No New Institutional Construction”. This position encouraged deinstitutionalization and the provision of services in the community, but allowed institutional placement for those who desired or “needed” it. In the late 1970’s, parents and others became more adamant about deinstitutionalization, and they fought successfully to close the Pennhurst State School and Hospital. Closures at Western, Ebensburg, and Embreeville Centers followed. This litigation did not, though, close all Pennsylvania institutions. Deinstitutionalization of those who wanted to be served in the community, the prevention of “unnecessary” institutionalization, and the provision of community services were still prioritized, rather than closure. In the 1980’s, the growing Self-Advocacy Movement demanded the right to community inclusion and the end of segregated services. Many self-advocates and parents argued that any place that denies choice and segregate based on disability should be closed, including large group homes, day programs and sheltered workshops. As some parents sharpened their position to focus the abolition of segregated services, though, other parents still saw a role for specialized and segregated care, and they felt increasingly marginalized. The successes of deinstitutionalization and community inclusion have been tremendous, but we also see issues such as social isolation, lack of adequate supports, unemployment, and inadequate medical care. While some parents press for continued expansion of community supports, other parents continue to create and fight for specialized and segregated services. Rather than comfortable alliances across families, parents are to some degree fragmented by different visions of rights, care, and what it means to be included. Families and self-advocates continue to play complex roles in in this evolving conversation. –From Walking the Line between the Past and Future: Parents’ Resistance and Commitment to Institutionalization, Allison C Carey and Lucy Gu Significant Events in Pennsylvania’s Intellectual Disability Rights Movement 1968 Suffer the Little Children Pennhurst expose by NBC10 reporter Bill Baldini. Money allocated to improve Pennhurst. 1973 Use of cages discovered at Polk Center Superintendent dismissed, later reinstated to another institution. 1971 Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) et al. v Commonwealth of Pennsylvania et al. Lawsuit demands access to education for all handicapped children. 1972 PARC Consent Decree The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania states that education should be provided for all children regardless of any physical or mental handicap. 1977 Halderman v. Pennhurst State School and Hospital, 446 F. Supp. 1295 (E.D. Pa., 1977) Asserts that the mentally retarded have a constitutional right to living quarters and education. U.S. District Judge Raymond J. Broderick rules that the institution was guilty of violating patient’s constitutional rights. 1987 Pennhurst State School forced to close. Closures at Western Center, Embreeville follow. Early 1980’s Not in My Backyard Communities protest group homes for people with intellectual disabilities. Many have political support. 1982 Speaking for Ourselves (SFO), Pennsylvania. Self-advocacy organization for people with disabilities emerges as a distinct voice. -1994 Roland Johnson, beloved leader of SFO dies at age 48. 1983 Voice of the Retarded (VOR) Parent group supports the expansion of quality community-based service options; opposes the elimination of specialized facility-based (institutional) options. 1991 Everyday Lives Fundamental concept: with the support of family and friends, individuals with disabilities decide how to live their lives and what supports they need. It also means that they are responsible for their decisions and actions. Shapes statewide policy Pennsylvania for twenty plus years. 1999 Olmstead v L.C., 527 U.S. 581. United States Supreme Court case regarding discrimination against people with mental disabilities. The Supreme Court held that under the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals with mental disabilities have the right to live in the community rather than in institutions if, in the words of the opinion of the Court, “the State’s treatment professionals have determined that community placement is appropriate, the transfer from institutional care to a less restrictive setting is not opposed by the affected individual, and the placement can be reasonably accommodated, taking into account the resources available to the State and the needs of others with mental disabilities.” [1] The case was brought by the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc. on behalf of two women with mental disabilities. 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) The ADA is a wide-ranging civil rights law that is intended to protect against discrimination based on disability. 2007 Sibling Leadership Network founded Indicative of new interest in experiences of siblings. Mission: provide siblings of individuals with disabilities the information, support, and tools to advocate with their brothers and sisters and to promote the issues important to them and their entire families. 2012 Benjamin v Department of Public Welfare, Commonwealth of PA Class action lawsuit alleges defendants have failed to offer community services to people with intellectual disabilities who live in state centers. Claim this is a violation of the integration mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. Appellants are also residents of state centers whose parents and guardians oppose community placement. Spread the Word to End the Word Campaign Over 500,000 online pledges to stop using the word “retarded”. Campaign led by a sibling. Current Issues faced by People with Intellectual and Other Disabilities Waiting Lists – 13,886 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities are currently waiting for community based services. 5,602 are in the critical needs category and 4,723 are in the emergency needs category. The PA Waiting List Campaign has spent 17 years advocating for the elimination of waiting lists; campaign is run by Vision For Equality. Read more at www.pawaitinglistcampaign.org/ Pennsylvania is home to more than 142,000 people with intellectual disabilities. 951 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities live in state centers. 2,057 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities live in private intermediate care facilities. 7,577 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities (ages 21-65) work in sheltered workshops. 8,626 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities (ages 21-65) are served by Licensed Day Services at Adult Training Facilities. 5,054 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities are employed in the community. 33.5% Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities live below the poverty line. Average national hourly wage earned by people with disabilities working in sheltered workshops is $1.36. Average monthly take home pay for a worker in a sheltered workshop is $175. Unemployment rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-24) in the U.S. is approximately 77%. 450,000 people with disabilities working in sheltered workshops or taking part in segregated day programs nationwide. 41,000 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities live with aging caregivers. Learn more about Pennsylvania’s Intellectual Disability Rights Movement at disabilities.temple.edu/voices Thank you Special thanks to and our Melissa Ann Barr Allison Carey, PhD Kevin Casey Christ Church Neighborhood House Jen Cleary Ginger DiLello Sandie Dorsey Anna Drozdowski Suzanne Erb Kelly George, PhD Jennifer Goldberg Amy Goldman Abigail Guay Susan Fullam Sally Gould Taylor, PhD Adora Hatten Jenna Lastres Amy Letson Julie Long Frank and Michele McNulty Charlie Miller Allison Richman Debbie Robinson Mary Beth Semerod Margery Sly Susie Suh Kathy Sykes Megan Thibodeaux Janice Wertz Ann Marie White Temple University Graduate Occupational Therapy Students Fierce Volunteers! Deep appreciation to those who shared their stories with us: Pamela Abbott and Laurie Scoggins Bill Baldini Dee Coccia Graynle Edwards, PhD Eleanor Elkin The Fialkowski Family Nancy Greenstein Bill Krebs Carolyn Morgan Nancy Schwartz Ginny Thornburgh Karl Williams And many other families, siblings and self-advocates (Christ Church Neighborhood House logo) Neighborhood House is an arts incubator that supports artists and audiences by providing a platform for the creation and presentation of new work. We are a program of Christ Church Preservation Trust, a secular nonprofit that ensures the preservation of and strengthens the multiple communities that use historic Christ Church properties as a place for community building, personal growth, education, and artistic expression. For more information and upcoming events: www.neighborhood-house.com afiercekindoflove.org Join us for more A Fierce Kind of Love programming: Stories in Play – April 9 Sib Slam with First Person Arts – April 13 Here. Stories from Selinsgrove Center and KenCrest Services on view at City Hall, Philadelphia through May 6 You can’t do this life alone.