1st Edition
The Sense-Ability Ensemble’s Guide to Creating Theatre for Audiences that are Neurodiverse
PART 1: Creation: The Who, What, Where, and Why Introduction: The Shift 1. FARM! A Musical Experience 2. POND Adventure 3. SODA POP SHOP! 4. What if Wilhelmina PART 2: Implementation: The How 5. Getting Started 6. Recommended Practices 7. Touring Considerations 8. Voices from the Field 9. An Actor Reflects by Ryan Duda 10. Impact and Growth by Evan Hill Phillips
Biography
Dionne O'Dell is an academic specialist/faculty in the Department of Theatre at Michigan State University (MSU), where she specializes in writing and directing plays for youth and community. Previously, Dionne was the associate director of education at Lincoln Center Theater in New York City. Although primarily interested in writing plays with a social justice focus (most recently, Phosphates and Fistfights), in February 2010 her short film script Dreadful Sorry (a ghost story) was awarded a $100,000 grant by the South Carolina Film Commission and played to short film festivals around the USA. A proud member of the Actors Equity Association, she has also worked as a performer in regional theatre productions, industrial films, and television commercials. Dionne is also the artistic director of the MSU Sense-Ability Ensemble—a group that creates innovative, multi-sensory, interactive theatrical performances for audiences that are neurodiverse. The ensemble’s most recent production, What if Wilhelmina, is a musical adaptation of the children’s book of the same title, created by author and illustrator Joseph Belisle. Dionne is also a member of the Dramatists Guild.
