Class Description
Ever wondered how disability is portrayed in theatre—or how it should be? This six-week course dives into Disability Studies and theatre, challenging you to think critically about how disability appears on stage and the impact of those portrayals.
We’ll break down ideas like narrative prosthesis, and representational conundrums, while also learning the basics of playwriting. Using archival materials from the Newberry Library on Studs Terkel’s Working and plays by disabled Chicago playwrights, like The History of Bowling by Mike Ervin and No One As Nasty by Susan Nussbaum, you’ll analyze, discuss, and create your own work.
Working solo or with others, you’ll develop at least one ten-minute play in the Dramatists’ Guild traditional format, exploring themes of disability. These works will be cold-read in class with your fellow playwrights.
Amelia-Marie Altstadt, a PhD student in Disability Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago, researches disability culture, children of disabled adults, and dramatic portrayals of disability. When not leading art access with Bodies of Work or authoring plays like Up the 5 and ADHD Ballet, you can find them loving on their two cats.
What to Expect
Format: In Person
Class Capacity: 24
Class Style: Workshop; participation- and assignment-based
Materials List
Required
- Digital Course Packet
Recommended
- Victoria Ann Lewis. Beyond Victims and Villains: Contemporary Plays by Disabled Playwrights. Theatre Communications Group, 2005. ISBN: 978-1559362504.
First Assignment
- Please write a short pre-course reflection on what you hope to learn and engage in during this course.
A Brief Syllabus
- Introductions and Goals
- Representational Conundrums
- Collection Presentation
- In Class Writing Time
- Workshopping
- Workshopping
Cost and Registration
6 Sessions, $290 ($261 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($290), Community Supported ($265), and Sponsor ($315). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
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