Volume 4 | Issue 8, 2020
CADA News and Information!
CADA Thanks You for
Above: Sid "teaches" his puppet the importance of mask-wearing.

As we enter the final month of the year 2020, all of us at the Center for Applied Drama and Autism would like to express our deepest thanks to all who have continued to support us throughout these socially distanced times. That we have managed to find a way to deepen connection through creativity and laughter in our Zoom boxes is an unexpected upside in a year of so much loss. 

We have been happy to welcome many new students from places that don’t have programs like CADA. We have expanded our teacher training workshops in order to share what we have learned with educators and theatre workers around the world! 

When our world finally becomes safe enough to teach and produce theatre locally, we know that we will continue to offer virtual classes and productions as well as local community based offerings. While video-conferencing has some limitations, it has also expanded our outreach and creativity in unexpected ways. For some of our students, attending a drama class from the comfort of their own homes has given them confidence and reduced anxieties they might have felt in attending class in a studio. For drama teachers, the Zoom studios have inspired us to work on voice acting as well as exploring the possibilities of the Zoom box as a movie frame. We practice close-ups vs medium shots vs long shots and learn how best to effectively act within the Zoom frame.

We are grateful for our company of actors who have banded together throughout the pandemic to train, rehearse and perform. In August, we presented an original play written by our own Samir Hammoud, performed in Zoom.We are continuing our live-streamed Open Mics, moving to the second Sunday of the month starting this December. We are currently adapting and recording Along the Graveyard Path as an audio serial drama that will be released in 2021. It will be presented as a timeline of the history of disability. And we look forward to premiering eight new plays in our One Act Play Festival, featuring autistic and disabled playwrights from around the world!

We invite you to stay with us as we continue to shine our light throughout the course of the pandemic and beyond! Please consider joining in our end of year fund-raising through Giving Tuesday, attending our Murder Mystery on Dec 5th or donating via check or online as an end of the year gift toward next year’s projects. 

Below: Ruben and Dean's Improv class from Fall Session
brought a lot of laughs to all the participants!
Announcing Our One Act Play Festival Winners!
Congratulations to the eight playwrights whose work will be presented in our first ever One-Act Play Festival! We asked for work by disabled or autistic playwrights and we are so excited by the variety of plays received from around the world! We will be making more announcements about how to apply to direct a play and about auditioning to act in the festival in the coming weeks! The plays will be presented online between March and June 2021!
Holiday Gift Pick: Akron On Deck!
Artist Mac Love brought together Akron area artists to create a unique deck of playing cards with an Akron focus. We are excited to share that Theatre on the Spectrum is represented as the five of diamonds! We submitted a photo of some of our actors posing at Schneider Park, which is the source of inspiration for our upcoming project "Along the Graveyard Path (A History of Disability). Cards can be purchased at Akron on Deck's web site. The cards may also be purchased at: Sand Run Pharmacy, Zeber-Martell Gallery and Clay Studio, Smile Inside in Downtown Akron, and Artisan Coffee (East) on Canton Road.

November Expressions Open Mic!
Register for New Teacher Workshops Now!
CADA's Winter Class Schedule!
Enroll now for winter session! We are maintaining our pandemic prices and adding some new classes including Voice Acting, Bollywood Dance, and In-Motion movement class. Be sure to fill out a registration form on our website!
Thank You to the Akron Community Foundation for including CADA in the CARES ACT funding!
Pictured above: Sean offers an idea in the Writers' Room class!
Nearly 200 local nonprofit organizations have been awarded $5,135,000 in grants from the County of Summit and Akron Community Foundation through the Summit County COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant Program, as well as through an additional contribution from Summit DD. From paying for PPE to technology upgrades incurred from taking services virtual, these funds will help local organizations cover unexpected costs incurred this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are so grateful to ACF for providing CADA with federal CARES Act funding so that we may continue to serve actors of all abilities, safely, virtually, and internationally!
Pictured above: Saturday's The Next Stage Transition Workshop is a project-based drama class that focuses on collaboration and developing social skills.
Total Newsense: A Murder Mystery Podcast
Put on your detective hats and join us for CADA's newest virtual performance, Total Newsense: A Murder Mystery Podcast, live on Zoom, December 5, 2020 ONLY! Pre-show entertainment begins at 7:30PM, show starts at 8:00PM.

In this topical take on a classic form directed by Jordan Euell, you’ll recognize many familiar faces! Ruben Ryan plays the titular role of Joe Newsense, a Joe Rogan-esque podcast host who is mysteriously murdered, forcing an intern to separate and question everyone in the studio. 

“It’s a fun show of satire and intrigue plus, of course, murder,” says Ruben. 

Tickets are $1, with the ability to add a donation of any amount. You will also have the opportunity to become a sponsor.
And make it a true dinner and a show, by joining our Panda Express fundraiser from anywhere in the United States! Just order for pickup or delivery on December 5 with the code 901284 and 28% of sales will be donated to CADA.
CADA Staff Spotlight: Jordan Euell
Jordan Euell will be teaching Writer's Room: Mythic Quests and Fantasy, Wednesdays 6:30-7:30PM ET from January 13 to March 17 and is the director of Total Newsense: A Murder Mystery Podcast.

He is a former student of Wendy Duke and Laura Valenza at Miller South who participated in an early version of CADA at Weathervane Playhouse. He recently graduated from Kent State University with a
BS in Digital Media Production and a Theatre Minor.

Jordan says: "As someone on the spectrum,
theatre was instrumental to my understanding of the world and developing my confidence. It allows you to examine the human experience in a fun and exiting way that gives you a break from the harshness and confusion of the world and gives you a space to play! Theatre was an awakening of myself. It was the gateway to storytelling and creating that led me to be a more charismatic and personable person. It also led me to my love of stand up comedy and filmmaking. A theatre background gives me a leg up in both of these."
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