Volume 5 | Issue 1, 2021
CADA News and Information!
Happy New Year!
Above: Amanda performs a monologue at our December fund-raiser.

Welcome to 2021! As I type this, we have one week left for enrolling in our winter term classes. If you miss the deadline or want to try a class before registering, please contact us and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

New for 2021, CADA is offering online residencies and workshops to schools, universities, theatre organizations, and community groups interested in developing inclusive theatre programming.

Coming up. Along the Graveyard Path, in serial audio play format! We will be releasing episodes on a regular basis and you can expect to hear more in our next Newsletter.

Our One Act Play Festival is moving forward! We have been reaching out to find directors for each of the eight plays and we will be announcing the casting process shortly. It looks like the presentations will begin in spring and stretch into the summer.

We hope you join us for a year full of providing inclusive opportunities and events for people of all abilities!

Below: Audience Talk-Back with the cast of Murder at the Podcast.
CADA to present Act for Advocacy at Berklee's Online ABLE Assembly
ABOVE: CADA's Wendy Duke and Ruben Ryan have been selected to present "Act for Advocacy" at the ABLE ASSEMBLY in April.

ABLE Assembly:
Arts Better the Lives of Everyone
ABLE Assembly 2021:
Intersectionality, Disability, and Arts Education

The Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs (BIAESN) is delighted to announce the 2021 ABLE Assembly: Arts Better the Lives of Everyone conference, which will take place online April 10 and 11, 2021, from 12:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST.
We are partnering with Creative Generation to offer the conference, which will include:
  • live, synchronous keynote presentations;
  • recorded breakout sessions;
  • performances by artists with disabilities; and
  • live panel discussions. 

The ABLE Assembly is an exceptional professional development opportunity in the field of arts education and special needs, bringing together educators, artists, researchers, policymakers, school administrators, program administrators, and students to share best practices, explore new research, and learn from each other. 
Ruben Ryan, Director of Online Programming
The Center for Applied Drama and Autism (CADA) is proud to introduce Ruben Ryan as the Director of Online Programming, made possible by the federal CARES funding we received from the Akron Community Foundation. 

Since March, CADA has had enormous success with our online classes and theatrical events on Zoom. Ruben will be heading up our efforts to continue and expand our online classes, as well as develop original creative content to be shared with the public. He is also developing educational workshops on creating inclusive theatre and improvisational techniques that work for actors of all abilities through a screen. These workshops are perfect for teachers, performers, directors, and community members - anyone seeking to make their craft more accessible - or as DEI training for schools, theatres, and organizations!

Ruben Ryan earned his B.A. in Theatre Studies from Kent State University and has taught improv to children and adults of all abilities for many years. He is the co-founder of Just Go With It (a long-form improv group based out of Akron) and is currently Creative Director for Point of No Return Improv. Ruben is excited to bring his years of theatre experience to the table in the expansion of his role at CADA and looks forward to continuing to help bring joy, compassion, and entertainment to all those he works for and with.

January Expressions Open Mic!
NEW for 2021 -- Virtual Residencies and Workshops!
Above: Students playing a Zoom warm-up game called "Where in the World."

New Director of Online Programming, Ruben Ryan, is developing educational workshops on creating inclusive theatre and improvisational techniques that work for actors of all abilities through a screen.

These workshops are perfect for teachers, performers, directors, and community members - anyone seeking to make their craft more accessible - or as DEI training for schools, theatres, and organizations! They can be designed to meet your needs: size of class, length, number of teachers needed, etc. Cost will be determined on these factors, starting at $50 per one hour class. Classes are held on Zoom, but do not hesitate to contact us if you require a different platform.

Previous workshop topics include:

Physical Acting
Voice acting
Improv
Comedy
Act for Advocacy -- applied drama for advocacy
The Bully Project -- applied drama for social growth

Virtual Theatre Workshops are now being scheduled!
Contact Ruben at ruben@centerforada.org for more information.
CADA's Winter Class Schedule!
Above: Nicolas performing a monologue developed as part of the fall Beginning Acting Class.

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!
Together, We Solved the Mystery of Joe Newsense's Senseless Murder ...but is he really dead?
Total Newsense: A Murder Mystery Podcast was a huge success in ticket sales, sponsorships, and leftovers from our Panda Express fundraiser, but perhaps most of all, in praise: one audience member said it was better than a movie and another said in a perfect world, they would be able to watch this crew perform every Saturday.

Well, Joe is back and so are many of his friends and coworkers you got to know and love this December! So stay tuned to our newsletters and social media to get the latest updates on this mysterious and murderous crew.
CADA Staff Spotlight: Bhawna Sudhir
Bhawna Sudhir will be teaching In Motion, Saturdays 3-4 PM ET and Bollywood Dance Happy Hour, Fridays 4-5 PM ET in our Winter Session.

A proud mother of two children with special needs, Ms. B is the founder and director of Dancing Bells LLC, a platform to sensitize individuals with different capabilities to express themselves and interact with one another through dance and movement.

Ms. B holds several certifications from the Dance Education Laboratory and Lincoln Center of Performing Arts Education in New York. Earlier this year, she completed CADA's Teacher Training Workshops. Ms. B is a teaching artist who creates authentic, interactive, and individually-tailored sessions for all ability groups.

Bhawna says: "I have noticed many people on the autism spectrum have a strong ability to notice tiny details and tend to focus better with a small task, such as an activity using just one body part, just the hands, fingers, shoulders or eyes, rather than the full motion of the body as a whole. One of the many activities at the CADA workshop was to ask the student to freeze the body in any movement while someone else builds a story or dialogue just by observing how their body is placed. This activity inspired me to use this diverse approach within my world of movement and dance, as the workshop revealed many similarities for me between the theater and dance.
KATHAK is a North Indian classical dance that utilizes the art of ABHINAYA, or enactment, shown through expressivity of facial features and limb gestures to lead an audience to thought and emotion."

Interested in learning more? Sign up for one of Ms. B's classes, starting this weekend!
Have you visited CADA's YouTube Channel?
We have plans to expand our YouTube Channel this year. Please help us reach 10,000 views by clicking on the link above to view one of our classic clips from the past!. Be sure to Like and Subscribe once you are there!

This commercial for Akron on Deck was written and performed by CADA's Video Production Team. Ask how we can do one for you!
Thanks to all our corporate and individual sponsors who have contributed to our continuing success!
Rachel Scalish
Samantha Honaker
Brittany Jackson
Lysa Mulloy
Paige Giannetti
Georgianne Hudson Smith
Gregory Rees
Mary Kate & Fred Donnelly
Dominic Leone
Kathy Moran
Rick Woods
Pamela Warrick
Elsie Hammoud
Diana Wilson
Kristin Kranz
Marie Curry & Brant Lee
Logan Shamberger
Karen Magner
Colleen Foy
JL Dorrian

Laurie Dolan
Michelle Herter
George and Jamie Coutris
Annie Gustley
Pooja Rajpal
Emily Durway

Bhawna Sudhir
Mac Love

Andrew Shahriari
Margo Snider

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