Volume 5 | Issue 7, 2021
CADA News and Information!
Now Playing!
CADA Virtual One Act Play Festival!
Thank You to Akron Community Foundation!
The Center for Applied Drama and Autism has been awarded $3,500 from the Akron Community Foundation for inclusive theater programming during the 2021-22 season.

Celebrating 66 years of building community philanthropy, Akron Community Foundation embraces and enhances the work of charitable people who make a permanent commitment to the good of the community. This June, ACF's board of directors approved grants totaling $2,657,885, including $603,500 in competitive arts and culture grants chosen by the foundation’s Community Investment Committee.

Thanks to ACF for believing in CADA's vision, and congratulations to our fellow grantees, including the Center for Applied Theater and Active Culture (CATAC), Rubber City Theatre, and Gum-Dip Theatre.
An Appreciation for James Slowiak and Jairo Cuesta of New World Performance Lab
Saying au revoir to our mentors, Jairo Cuesta and Jim Slowiak, as they fly away to a new life in Paris. The gifts they gave to many of our teaching staff include intensive training in physical theatre techniques that have proven invaluable in our work with disabled and autistic actors. Furthermore, CADA would not have come into being without their support as they graciously shared their space at the Balch for our classes and camps, and provided fiduciary sponsorship of CADA as we worked to become a real non-profit. I can speak for all of us at CADA that we are forever grateful and will continue to apply lessons learned from two master teachers.

Above: Jairo playing a service dog in a Theatre on the Spectrum "Act for Advocacy" Workshop at the University of Akron.
Last Friday Improv Night on Zoom
Call-Outs for a Cause was such a fun and successful event, we've decided to host an Improv Night + Fundraiser on the last Friday of EVERY MONTH! Will you join us?
Learn with Us!
NO Open Mic This Month!
One-Act Play Festival
Wendy Duke Wins Arts Alive Award!
For nearly twenty years, Summit Artspace's Arts Alive Awards have recognized gifted artists, talented arts educators and change-making advocates who bring art to life and help shape our community’s culture. All proceeds benefit the mission of Summit Artspace to connect artists to the community and to the resources they need to thrive professionally, creatively and financially.

CADA's own Wendy Duke was honored with the IDEA Leader Award for an individual or group who has amplified the voices and vision of artists in the community or has strengthened inclusion, diversity, equity and access for and within the arts.
Wendy Duke to Appear on Jeff Moyer Show!
Tune in to Jeff's show every other Thursday at 7 PM ET. Wendy Duke will be joining Jeff on Thursday, July 29th. Be sure to subscribe and like Jeff's show on YouTube, and click on Notifications to be reminded of upcoming shows!
CADA Student Spotlight: Millie
Millie admits that she didn't really want to come to her first CADA class but her mom told her she didn't have a choice! "I thought it was going to be like all the others but then after I took the first class, I was like, 'I want to do this.'" She really likes musical theatre but was disappointed to learn it was mostly memorizing lines and marketing the show. "I've done three things like that, it just wasn't that fun."

Millie used to write stories a lot as a child and is excited to take the new writing class. She already has some fantastical ideas! Outside of class, she likes to sing and make art.

On the Next Stage Transitions Class:
"My favorite part was when we did the Haunted House thingy, I think it was really cool." Millie used to watch Peppa Pig and quote the lines verbatim; "I never thought of just turning the thing off and then just making it on your own without hearing it. I never experienced something like that."

On the Writing Class:
"I like it because I actually got to be part of writing a script. The majority of the class was spent on brainstorming, which is important." Millie learned a lot about storytelling, and while she found creating varied characters a little hard at first, she is eager to learn more.

On doing it virtually:
"I really liked the fun activities they did. It was not like in school when you just have to write something down [or] you just have to sit there and watch. I think, honestly, it is really good, but if we were in person, it would be 10x better, but either way, it's really nice."
NEW One-on-One Opportunities!
Thanks to all our corporate and individual sponsors who have contributed to our continuing success!

Tessa Gaffney 
Teresa McCormish Hurray 
Janet Juliano 
Danny Paparella  
Jordan Bryce James 
Rose Langstaff 
Shannon Costa Kotradi 
Saul Caplan

Jennifer Bozeka 
Jeannette Loretitsch 
Robert Keith 
Josh Gippin 
Shelly York 
Lysa Mulloy 
Shannon Uphold

Rachel Scalish
Samantha Honaker
Brittany Jackson
Lysa Mulloy
Sandra McPherson
Jamie Filisko
Georgianne Hudson Smith
Gregory Rees
Jeff Moyer
Mary Kate & Fred Donnelly
Dominic Leone
Kathy Moran
Rick Woods
Pamela Warrick
Diana Wilson
Carolyn Johnston
Amelia Polzella
Animita Saha
Gonzalo Hidalgo
Marie Curry & Brant Lee
Logan Shamberger
Karen Magner
Colleen Foy
JL Dorrian
Nancy Archey 
Alice Altwies 
Mark Greer 
Dane Leasure 
DeAndre Hairston-Karim
Jamie Gellner 
Andrea Klein
Dean Coutris 
Laura Beahn McFalls

Michael Gatto 
Steve Karangis 
Heather Cross

Jen Snider
Chris Fornadel
Bill Smith 
Maria Krenz Smith 
Stephen Dolan 
James Slowiak 
Larry Marks 
Tina Lattimer 
Paige Wilson
Eve McPherson
Michelle Herter
George & Jamie Coutris
Annie Gustley
Pooja Rajpal
Emily Durway




Lauren Mathis 
Howard Parr 
Laura Yeager 
Mark Wilt 
Paige Giannetti

Russ Henley
Bhawna Sudhir
Mac Love
Kristin Kranz
Philip G Duke

Elsie Hammoud
Debra Bugenske
Andrew Shahriari
Margo Snider
Bev Brown

Laura Dolan
Kristin & Steven Kranz
Stephen Benjamin
Debbie & Steve Bugenske
John Ballard

Nancy & Leon Kranz
CADA Appreciates Your Support!
.5% of your online purchases at Amazon will be donated to the Center for Applied Drama and Autism. All you have to do is click on the link below that takes you directly to CADA's Smile.Amazon site. Smile.Amazon.com has all the same products and services as Amazon's regular page -- the difference is you will be giving a percentage of your purchase to CADA. It's an easy way to support us!
Center for Applied Drama & Autism | (866) 844 - 8327 | info@centerforada.org | centerforada.org

Theatre on the Spectrum is CADA's performance wing. For further information, please visit us at centerforada.org