A quarterly play or musical discussion group devoted to exploring works by artists who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, female/femme, and/or non-binary.
Our 2022 TRL programming continues to deconstruct the Western canon with engaging works focused on distinct categories.
Quarter Four: Disability & Neurodivergence
Sapience by Diana Burbano
Emily Driver’s Great Race Through Time and Space by A.A. Brenner & Gregg Mozgala
Date: Friday, November 4th, 2022
Time: 7:30-9:30pm CST
(5:30-7:30 PST/6:30-8:30 MST/8:30-10:30 EST)
Price: FREE*
*This is a Community Event so it is free and open to all. However, if you would like to make a donation to help cover the costs of paying our actors & special guests, that would be greatly appreciated. Suggested Donation $5.
Synopses: Sapience —Elsa, a doctor of primatology, is on the autism spectrum and has hidden this fact from the world. She is currently working with an orangutan named Wookie, who Elsa hopes to prove is capable of speaking a human language. Elsa’s 12 year old nephew, A.J., is also on the Autism spectrum. He is “Locked in”- completely non-verbal. However, thanks to A.J.'s so called "disability" he and Wookie joyously discover that they can communicate with each other. This explodes Elsa's carefully constructed, science based worldview and forces her to drop the mask of normality she has worn her whole life.
Emily Driver’s Great Race Through Time and Space —As a history-obsessed 12-year-old, Emily Driver uses her YouTube channel to celebrate landmark moments of activism and change. So when her request for a needed wheelchair is denied, she takes matters into her own hands – and launches into a time-travelling trip across the country where she meets trailblazing leaders from the past who have fought for equal rights.
Plays: Emily Driver… can be found on New Play Exchange. Sapience can also be found on NPX here. Please contact us if you have any further questions.
Discussion format: Actors will be reading scenes from the play and/or we will listen to select songs to kick off our discussion. This will provide a jumping off point as well as some context for people who are unable to read it ahead of time. The Thumbprint Team will be facilitating an open conversation where we hope that people will feel confident to bring their thoughts and experiences to the discussion. Additional materials will be provided to you in our Welcome Packet to dig in further to the study of this work, if you so choose to use them.
You do not need to have read the material beforehand to participate.