Disability in Cinema: A Discussion

Happy Tuesday everyone!

For my first blog entry in awhile (my colleagues just have so many wonderful things to say!), I thought I would jump into a discussion that is becoming more audible in recent months- that is, the use of able-bodied actors to portray people with disabilities on screen.  The recent success of “The Theory of Everything,” starring Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking, provides a pertinent vehicle to discuss a topic that has always troubled members of the disability community.

Eddie Redmayne as Steven Hawking in "The Theory of Everything"

Why is it that after we’ve long abandoned the time where women, not allowed on stage, were portrayed by men, and white actors mimicked those of other races by using tools such as ‘blackface,’ this trend of using able-bodied actors pretending to have disabilities is still commonplace?  Some people may point out that in certain films, such as “The Theory of Everything,” an able-bodied actor may be necessary to portray scenes prior to the character’s disability.  Our own Eric Clow, director of our Opening Minds, Opening Doors and resident creative insight, pointed out that artistic elements, such as dream sequences, might also be difficult to execute with an actor with disabilities.  However, these certain logistics seem to overshadow the more important discussion- even twenty-five years after the ADA, people with disabilities still struggle to be properly represented in the minds of the public.  

Marlon Brando in "The Teahouse of the August Moon,"
where he donned "yellowface" and a Japanese accent to portray the character of Sakini.
Is this any different than an able-bodied actor pretending to have a disability?

Where in the past, finding actors with disabilities may have been difficult, this is no longer the case. As the Executive Director of VSA Texas, Celia Hughes, aptly puts, “the time has come when characters with disabilities can be played by actors with disabilities. No longer do we need to have an able-bodied actor try to figure out how to be paralyzed, or blind, or intellectually challenged. We have talented people with disabilities who are eager to play these roles." She continues on to point out that this seems to be an American problem, as "they have been casting actors with disabilities in Europe for many years. It's time Hollywood came out from under the rock."

Why do you think this phenomenon of casting able-bodied actors in roles of people with disabilities is still the norm? Why has it not become as offensive as say, "blackface"? At the end of the day, there doesn't seem to be a difference; both are pretending to be something you aren't, where there are many capable individuals that don't have to pretend. It's an intentional exclusion of a whole group of people based on preconceived notions about their abilities. Isn't it time we put an end to this? Tell us how you feel in the comments section!

An Ode to Media Deadline Management: A How-To with Lynn Johnson!

Media planning is the art and science of ensuring that the adverts our clients want, appear in the right place at the right time to ensure they reach the best and widest audience. I love this definition. RIGHT TIME AT RIGHT PLACE. 

So, listen to this hypothetical scenario.  Boss comes in and says she has booked an internationally acclaimed Dance Choreographer to come in and do master classes with our dancers with disabilities and we’ll be doing a final performance open to the public.  Questions that should already be going through your head are:  When, Where, Who, What, Why (my last input is cost?).  At that point, you maybe have no answers except that he’s coming within the next two months.  SO:  Important piece of information here.  Know your media deadlines for your city, i.e. appropriate magazines, TV, Radio, PBS stations, local newspapers, and online calendars.  Media deadlines are timeframes set by each media organization as to when you must have your information to them to enable them to post to their readers and listeners.

Important Step:  You should already have a media list comprised of emails, websites, and phone numbers of who to contact to find out their media deadline schedule. 

Hard at work!

When I started out researching a media list of contacts for VSA Texas, I looked at the existing media list for Austin and then looked up all the publications, TV Stations, Radio Stations, on line Community Calendars. After, I expanded my research to include other cities where VSA Texas has events, workshops and classes.

Saying that this doesn’t take a little work is not exactly truthful.  You must be diligent in gleaning information from each of the media outlets you are interested in.  If you can't find deadlines for a certain organization online, call them! Mention you're a nonprofit and see how they can help you promote your event.

Next Step:  Make yourself a non-complicated spreadsheet (can be in Excel or if you're more comfortable, on paper with a ruler and pencil) with a timeline guide so you can plot out the deadlines for your Press Release, PSA and any other form of communication you want listed for your hypothetical choreographer.

To sum up:  A checklist

1.       Include contact information on every press release or PSA you send out. This means name of person, phone number and email. . Do not give multiple contacts as it only confuses people.

2.       Provide in the first paragraph  the details: who, what, when, where, why , and what the costs may be

3.       In your press release, write a personable paragraph or two about event- Don't be afraid to be creative! Be clear in what you want to say and engage your audience.

4.       Don’t forget your sponsors information (if you have a sponsor). That includes website, facebook information, etc.

5.       Always include the correct address of the event.-You’d be surprised how obvious details often get forgotten! The year is also especially important, especially for annual events.

6.       Proof read, proof read, proof read.

NOW- if you find you haven’t been supplied all of the above, or you are getting conflicting information, I remind everybody they have a specific timeframe! I usually stretch the truth about their deadline to give me some breathing room to meet the publications deadline.

It comes down to getting your information, making your deadline chart and keep reminding everyone who is planning the event how excited people will be when they learn of the great dance opportunity (or whatever your own event is!).  Think of it like your own “The Field of Dreams-” if you build it, they will come-but if they don’t know about it, they won’t. 

Thanks for your time today everyone! I hope my tips are helpful in your own planning, media-related or otherwise!

VSA Texas Unsung Hero of the Week: Chris Strickling!

I want to tell you about another unsung hero of VSA Texas.  For over 14 years, Chris Strickling has graced us with her talent and generosity.  Starting in 2000, when she approached me to help make her vision of an inclusive community of people with diverse disabilities bringing their stories to life on the stage, Chris has been a selfless supporter of the celebration of the ordinary, and sometime extraordinary, lives of people with disabilities.

 

Myself, Chris and Terry

Beginning with a one-week Actual Lives Austin performance workshop –yes, a promised “one week” workshop – we launched what turned out to be a 12 year adventure, eventually involving Bob Tolaro, Allison Orr, Olivia O’Hare, Tanya Winters, Susie Angel, Juan Muñoz, Gene Rodgers, Dave Dauber, Carol Gilson, Frankie Ramont, Laura Griebel, Terri Stellar, Thor Armbruster and many others too numerous to mention.  And who could overlook Terry Galloway, the godmother of Actual Lives, uncensored (kind of), real-life, and just plain real. We went on to perform more than 48 original performances in Austin, Dallas, Georgetown, and Washington, DC, the latter at the invitation of the VSA International 2004 International Festival. As we explored the possibilities of Actual Lives, Chris helped bring this unique theater experience to young adults with disabilities.

Chris was also an integral part of starting our summer camp program for youths with disabilities. Our first summer camp workshop for participants ages 13 and up was an empowering and transformative experience for everyone, including the campers, volunteers, teaching artists, and VSA Texas staff.  Daniel, shown in the picture below, as well as many others, have participated in VSA Texas summer workshops ever since. 

Chris and Daniel!

And then, in 2013, Chris joined the ranks of the Opening Minds, Opening Doors: Promoting Self-Advocates as Speakers team.  She worked with OMOD Coordinator Eric Clow to develop the initial training curriculum based on the Actual Lives model, and then recorded teaching videos that will inform our instructors and participants throughout the life of the project.

Thank you Chris.  As we continue our work with people with disabilities from all “walks” of life, we will raise high the flag of inclusion, disability rights, real talk of human sexuality, personal dreams, hopes and possibilities. Your work continues. Happy retirement.  We look forward to visiting you at your humble casita in Ishmael, Mexico.

All our love, 

Celia

Part 2: April's Book Review Series!

As promised, here is another book review!

We have 4 more days left for you to shop at our Holiday Art and Gift Sale. I wanted to tell you about the three other books we have at our gift show (I also always love a good excuse to read!)

An illustration from A Visit with Aunt Mary

First is A Visit with Aunt Mary written and illustrated by Beverly Kemp of Manor, TX. A quick read; this book contains one-page vignettes, each being a short glimpse into the life of the artist as a child spending time in the country with her Aunt Mary. Each story is based on an illustration. These full color prints of paintings tell a story of their own with their expansive perspective and minute details. This is a fun book for an adult who wants to relive tales from the old days, or could be shared with a child. A game could be made of picking out the details from the stories in each painting.

An illustration from Dear Sleep

Next is Dear Sleep, written and illustrated by Nicole Cortichiato of Austin, TX.  In 10 short illustrated pages Nicole opens your eyes to the life of a person with narcolepsy, showing both how her diagnosis has challenged her but also inspired her.  This set is for the dreamer in your life and is a BOGO deal! You get a small book as well as larger blank journal, with space to keep your own dream journal and let your own dreams inspire you!

A poem from Under the Silence is Me, laid over Kimberley's artwork

Last, but not least, is Under the Silence is Me- How it Feels to be Nonverbal written and illustrated by Kimberly Ruth Dixon of Round Rock, TX. Kimberly is a young woman who cannot express herself verbally. She uses facilitated communication to let her voice be heard through her poetry accompanied by her artwork. Kimberly’s poems range on topics from friendship, to anger, to spirituality, and to nature. She is an observant woman with much to say, and the book is a thought-provoking read.

With all of these books being priced in the $10-20 range, this is a great opportunity for the readers on your shopping list to enjoy colorful illustrations and words of beauty and wisdom by these three Texas artists!

Happy holidays, y'all!

VSA Texas Unsung Hero of the Week: Elizabeth "Libby" Geisinger!

Hello Friends,

I am going to celebrate our first unsung VSA Texas hero, Elizabeth “Libby” Geisinger, 2014 Girl Scout Gold Award recipient. Two years ago Libby asked for my advice on her plan to create a series of murals for the portable classrooms at Rosedale School, a campus in Austin that exclusively serves students with multiple disabilities. She presented me with a wonderfully ambitious plan. However, a bond election eliminated the portables at Rosedale, so Libby brainstormed ideas of how to combine her commitment to creating a multi-sensory experience for students at Rosedale with a limited amount of available wall space. Her solution? Build a large, portable, interactive, sensory wooden cube (station) that represents the four seasons.

Libby in the midst of building!

 With help from friends, Libby built and painted the cube and attached items such as pom-poms, pop tops, stars, and multiple plastic animals to complete the sensory experience. The scenes include a water environment, a meadow, a farm, and outer space. Libby reports, “With the use of this portable, sensory mural box, the students can become more independent and enhance their senses. The teachers can create lesson plans that incorporate the sensory station such as telling a story or focusing on helping a student in specific areas that that student needs, such as identifying key items on the station. This station will serve the current community at Rosedale and the future generations to come.” Along with this station, Libby created a Pinterest board on “Adaptive Learning” that instructs how to create other sensory enriched situations and environments for students with disabilities.

The finished product!

Interacting with the sensory station!

Brava Libby for your vision, your tenacity, your dedication, your hard work and your 2014 Girl Scout Gold Award!  The world is a better place because of young women like you.  

Stay tuned for our next VSA Texas unsung hero.  It just may be you!  Until then, enjoy your holiday, whichever you celebrate, and make your resolutions for the new year. 

Find Libby's Pinterest here:  https://www.pinterest.com/igloo459/adaptive-learning/ 

Part 1 of the Book Review Series by April Sullivan!

I love art and working with artists. But my second love is books. I spend a lot of my spare time reading. When I was a kid, my dad called me Little Miss Librarian. I even volunteered in the school library in the 5^th grade. When I was in college I worked at a college library and later a bookstore. For several years I did volunteer book reviews for a website called Reader Views.

Me in a favorite reading spot!

So, I thought I would review two of the books currently on sale at our Holiday Art and Gift Show. Both books I read are by Edie Bakker of Kaufman, TX. Edie is a poet, journalist, and author. Her books are called Rendezvous with a Rainforest and Crocodile Set Free. Both are memoirs about a certain time in her life. Edie has lived a very interesting life and grew up in the rainforest in Papua New Guinea as a child of missionary parents.

Rendezvous with a Rainforest tells about the expedition trips she took to the Hunstein Mountain Rainforest with National Geographic. Her job was to chronicle the fate of the Wagu people as their rainforest is scheduled to be logged. Her book is well written and a great way to learn about a culture that most of us will not have the chance to see in person. She sets up the book with Chapter 1 – A Memory From Age Thirteen, with a vivid telling of her colorful life running barefoot through the jungle and playing in the lake. From there, the book is about her return to this beloved childhood village as an adult. Each chapter begins with a memory from her youth that cements her as a character who has a vested stake in this culture, but also as an outsider coming to learn and report. She must struggle with her dedication to her childhood village family and her responsibilities to National Geographic. I recommend this adventurous book!

Edie’s second book, Crocodile Set Free tells a different side of Edie’s life. Multiple sides in fact, as Edie is diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder. She does a great job of sorting out her illness into chapters, even though as she explains, it is not in chronological order, but in order as she remembers it. This organization style could be hard to follow, but Edie is a skilled writer who brings us into her confusion and pain enough to make it understandable for someone who has not lived through such a thing, while also challenging the reader’s comfort zone.  I think with subject matter that includes religious distortions, fragmentation anxiety, and childhood trauma, it makes sense to not be an easy, palatable read. I find it very valuable to have writers in this world who are not afraid to share in this way, so that we all get a chance to try to understand another person’s world view.

I look forward to reading more books by Edie Bakker and hope that she continues to write them. We at VSA Texas are honored to have her work for sale in our Holiday Art and Gift show going on now. Come by and buy a book or two for the readers in your family. And keep reading our blog as I plan to review more books!

VSA Texas Annual Holiday Show!

Hello Folks!

With these recent cold temperatures, it's finally starting to feel like the holiday season, and here at VSA Texas, the start of the holiday season means only one thing- the beginning of our annual Holiday Art Show! We are so excited to have dozens of artists with disabilities across Texas feature and sell their work in the show, which opens this Monday, November 17th and lasts until December 24th here at VSA Texas (3710 Cedar Street).  You can stop by anytime Monday-Friday during regular business hours!

You'll be able to buy a variety of pieces, ranging from jewelry to paintings, cards to holiday ornaments. Proceeds from each sale go to both the artist and VSA Texas, with the artist receiving 70% and VSA Texas receiving 30% of each profit.  There's some really cool and original artwork in here! Some of my personal favorites include a crocheted "Angry Birds" hat, made by Shaniqua Esparza and modeled by our own April Sullivan (complete with an Angry Birds face). 

This candle is a repurposed tea box, beautifully handpainted by Marty Allen! 

Celeste Garvey-Petsch's, "Wilma The Water Dragon"

These handmade glass dishes by Jordana Gerlach are perfect for holiday candies or treats for Santa! 

This is a handmade ornament by Karen Thomas ... I'm sending this one home to my family in Boston!

So, come join us on November 20th from 6:00-8:00 PM for the Opening Reception here at 3710 Cedar Street in Austin. We're also hosting an Artist Reception on December 12th, from 6:00-8:00 again here at VSA Texas.  Stop by and support VSA Texas and artists with disabilities while you do all your holiday shopping!