CADA News and Information! |
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Announcing Our One Act Play Festival Winners! |
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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! |
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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.
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November Expressions Open Mic! |
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Register for New Teacher Workshops Now! |
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CADA's Winter Class Schedule! |
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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!
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Lessons We've Learned During the Pandemic |
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This is an excerpt from an article to be published in The Mighty
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Pictured above: Amanda performing her monologue in Beginning Acting class.
Pictured below: Improv for All with Ruben and Dean. Warm-ups in Zoom are designed to help us connect and collaborate!
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Seven months into the pandemic, our virtualization has allowed us to reach an international audience and we have continued to move forward with our creative mission for participants across the U.S. and in India. We increased enrollment from two classes with nine students total in the Winter Session, to nine classes of 45 students this Fall. Our Teacher Training Workshops, which offer methods for teaching acting students of all ages and abilities, expanded from four participants in December 2019 to overflowing at nineteen in August 2020.
So, here are some lessons COVID-19 has inextricably instilled in us:
1. We can adapt to anything.
2. While we miss gathering in person, virtualization can break down barriers that prevent new people from attending our classes and performances, such as social anxiety and geographical distance.
3. Technology reveals and responds to unique needs in our actors. Any support we receive allows us to acquire equipment such as microphones and headphones for the hearing impaired, tripods for actors who have difficulty setting up their I-Pad in a suitable recording position, and green screens to create theatrical backgrounds.
4. Art is essential. It is the pastime of the privileged but the lifeblood of the disadvantaged.
In the middle of these frankly terrifying times, we can feel safe together in a virtual space where we don’t have to wear face masks and we can laugh and sing without worrying about infecting each other. Social distancing is just the video frame right next to ours.
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Pictured above: Students activating brains, body and creativity in Bhawna Sudhir's In-Motion movement class.
Pictured below: Samir and his acting coach Dean, working one-on-one in Speak the Speech class.. Samir is exploring the Henry V monologue "Once more unto the breach dear friends..."
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Total Newsense: A Murder Mystery Podcast |
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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. 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, plus any donation you are willing or able to give.
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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 with the code 901284 and 28% of sales will be donated to CADA. |
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We are also offering affordable sponsorships with unique benefits to individuals and companies, including free tickets and, at the highest level, a commercial written and recorded by the cast that’s yours to keep forever! |
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CADA Staff Spotlight: Brandon Meeker |
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Brandon Meeker teaches All the World's a Stage, our beginning drama class for young people on the autism spectrum, Saturdays 11AM-12PM and Comedy Class Mondays 6-7PM.
He is an actor and improviser who has been working with CADA since 2015, although he began acting when he was little. (Wendy Duke was his middle school drama teacher!) He is a graduate of the Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC Theatre Department, and is currently studying Political Science and History at The University of Akron.
Brandon says: "Drama is a very vulnerable art form. An actor really opens up in front of an audience and their fellow performers, and that concept translates into learning many skills. These skills, namely communication, teamwork, comfort in unfamiliar situations, and openness to new things can be challenging for people on the spectrum, and theatre is the perfect mechanism to help them grow in these respects. Theatre has helped me mature both emotionally and mentally from a young age, which has helped me immensely as a young adult. A character is always a reflection of the actor, and self-discovery, no matter how small or large, really helps one learn empathy for oneself and others. The invaluable lessons I’ve learned throughout the years were made possible by my work in theatre, and I will be forever grateful for them."
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CADA Appreciates Your Support! |
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.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! |
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Center for Applied Drama & Autism | (866) 844 - 8327 | info@centerforada.org | centerforada.org |
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Theatre on the Spectrum is CADA's performance wing. For further information, please visit us at centerforada.org
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