The Artistry of Accessibility: Creating Theatre with and for Students on the Autism Spectrum

167 Pages·2016·2.59 MB·English

UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff CCeennttrraall FFlloorriiddaa
SSTTAARRSS
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019
2015
TThhee AArrttiissttrryy ooff AAcccceessssiibbiilliittyy:: CCrreeaattiinngg TThheeaattrree wwiitthh aanndd ffoorr
SSttuuddeennttss oonn tthhee AAuuttiissmm SSppeeccttrruumm
Sara Brunow
University of Central Florida
Part of the Theatre and Performance Studies Commons
Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd
University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu
This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for
inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more
information, please contact [email protected].
SSTTAARRSS CCiittaattiioonn
Brunow, Sara, "The Artistry of Accessibility: Creating Theatre with and for Students on the Autism
Spectrum" (2015). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 1480.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/1480
THE ARTISTRY OF ACCESSIBILITY:
CREATING THEATRE WITH AND FOR STUDENTS ON THE AUTISM
SPECTRUM

by
SARA R. BRUNOW
B.F.A. Shenandoah University, 2005

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Master of Fine Arts
in the Department of Theatre
in the College of Arts and Humanities
at the University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida

Spring Term
2015
© 2015 Sara Brunow
ii
ABSTRACT
Theatre is a place where all can come together and have an experience regardless
of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or ability. As a theatre maker and teaching artist, how do I
create inclusion and augment social awareness by designing and implementing theatrical
experiences for a specific audience? In this personal exploration of inclusive theatre
practices (Sensory Friendly Theatre, Inclusive Arts Integration, and Multi-Sensory
Theatre) I will examine my experience of creating and adapting theatre with and for
students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. My process has a three-pronged approach:
adapting an established production using a Sensory Friendly model; adapting an arts
integration facilitation in an inclusive elementary classroom; and collaboratively creating
a sensory-based theatrical experience with other artists and students with cognitive
disabilities. Through these experiences, I strive to uncover how developing theatre for
this specific audience has challenged me to grow as an artist and activist.
iii
For Patricia Ruth Brunow, who would have been very proud to see her hardheaded
granddaughter finally find her path and her passion.

For my students, past, present, and future:
In my life, I have never found anything more inspiring, more important, more forceful
than the moments I spend with you and the discoveries I make with you. You are why I
grow. You are why I dream. You are why I create.

For John Bryan Brunow, the man with the ideas and the passion to change the world.

For Celia Ann Brunow, who encourages me to learn, to grow, to balance, and to breathe.

“If you asked me what I came to do in this world as an artist, I will answer you: I came to
live out loud.”
-Emile Zola
iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This document could not have happened without the efforts of more than a
handful of people. Firstly, I would like to thank my committee members, Kate Ingram,
Christopher Neiss, and Kim Peter Kovak, for their guidance on this manifesto. I must
thank my mentors at Orlando Repertory Theatre, Gary Cadwallader, Steve MacKinnon,
and Jeffrey Revels, who gave me opportunities to grow in my artistry. To my professors
at UCF, Vandy Wood, Sybil St. Claire, and Mark Routhier, thank you for giving me the
tools I needed to accomplish my goals. To Alex Bailey Hodson, Jason Gerhard, Tara
Kromer, Mark Nichols, and Ann Kinnebrew for their support and collaboration over
these past two years. To Riley Braem, for being my professional partner in crime and
understanding what in the world I was actually talking about. To Alicia Fuss and Rachel
Hamilton for their professional guidance and the opportunity to just blab about it when I
needed to. To Adam Spencer, who lovingly listened and challenged and supported. And a
very special thanks goes to my thesis chair, Dr. Julia Listengarten, for her support and
guidance. She has taught me to always look beyond the ordinary to find the
extraordinary, to see the challenges and discover the possibilities.

And mostly, I want to give thanks to those who literally made me what and who I
am: my family. Without you, I would forget to breathe. Thank you for inspiring me to
always inquire.
“Always be arriving.” –Will Davis
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................... xi
LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................................xii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND NOMENCLATURE ................................................................ xiii
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER ONE: THEATRE FOR ALL AUDIENCES: THE POSSIBILITY FOR
ACCESSIBILITY ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................................................ 5
Statement of the Purpose ................................................................................................................................. 8
Methodologies ...................................................................................................................................................... 9
Theoretical Methodologies......................................................................................................................... 9
Inclusion Theory .......................................................................................................................................................... 9
Intentional Design ..................................................................................................................................................... 12
Play and Development ............................................................................................................................................. 13
Participation as Engagement ................................................................................................................................ 16
Practical Methodologies ........................................................................................................................... 21
Sensory Friendly Performances .......................................................................................................................... 22
Inclusive Arts Integration Residencies ............................................................................................................ 22
Multi-Sensory Theatre for Students with Complex Disabilities ............................................................ 23
Organization ....................................................................................................................................................... 24
Limitations as Possibilities ........................................................................................................................... 24
CHAPTER TWO: UNDERSTANDING OUR AUDIENCE: AUTISM SPECTRUM
DISORDER AND SENSORY PROCESSING .................................................................................... 26
The Language of Autism Spectrum Disorder ........................................................................................ 27
vi
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? ........................................................................................................ 30
The Science of Sensory and Autism Spectrum Disorder .................................................................. 33
Reflection ............................................................................................................................................................. 37
CHAPTER THREE: SENSORY FRIENDLY PERFORMANCE AND ARTIST AS ADAPTOR
..................................................................................................................................................................... 39
What is Sensory Friendly Performance? ................................................................................................ 40
Sensory Friendly as Inclusion ................................................................................................................ 41
Engagement ................................................................................................................................................... 42
Intentional Adaptation for Sensory Friendly Performances ..................................................... 42
CHAPTER FOUR: SENSORY FRIENDLY PERFORMANCES AT ORLANDO REPERTORY
THEATRE ................................................................................................................................................ 44
The Process ......................................................................................................................................................... 45
Pre-Show Considerations and Accommodations ........................................................................... 45
Research: Knowing the Audience and Community..................................................................................... 45
Observation: Structure and Space ...................................................................................................................... 47
Clear Expectations: Preparation for Show-Day .............................................................................. 49
Sensory Considerations: Outside the Theater .............................................................................................. 51
Performance Considerations and Accommodations .................................................................... 52
Research: Knowing the Show ............................................................................................................................... 52
Observation: Problems and Possibilities......................................................................................................... 53
Clear Expectations: Production Team, Cast, and Crew ............................................................................. 54
Sensory Considerations: Artistic Adaptations .............................................................................................. 55
The Outcome ...................................................................................................................................................... 58
vii
CHAPTER FIVE: INCLUSIVE ARTS INTEGRATION AND ARTIST AS
CREATOR/ADAPTOR .......................................................................................................................... 61
What is Arts Integration? .............................................................................................................................. 62
Inclusion ......................................................................................................................................................... 64
Intentional Design ....................................................................................................................................... 64
Play .................................................................................................................................................................... 65
Connections ........................................................................................................................................................ 66
CHAPTER SIX: THE PROCESS OF CREATING AND ADAPTING A LESSON .................... 68
The Lesson........................................................................................................................................................... 68
My Adaptation Process .................................................................................................................................. 71
Intentional Adaptation Toward Inclusion ........................................................................................ 71
Observation: Knowing the Audience................................................................................................... 71
Clear Expectations: Essential Questions and Guidelines ............................................................ 73
Visual Guides: Seeing Structure ............................................................................................................ 74
Communication and Kinesthetic Reinforcement ........................................................................... 74
Sensory Exploration: Feeling the Meaning ....................................................................................... 76
Reflection ............................................................................................................................................................. 77
CHAPTER SEVEN: MULTI-SENSORY THEATRE AND THE ARTIST AND AUDIENCE AS
CO-CREATORS ....................................................................................................................................... 81
Multi-Sensory Theatre.................................................................................................................................... 82
Oily Cart Theatre ......................................................................................................................................... 82
Inclusion ......................................................................................................................................................... 84
Play .................................................................................................................................................................... 84
viii
Engagement ................................................................................................................................................... 85
Connections ........................................................................................................................................................ 86
CHAPTER EIGHT: THE JOY OF CREATING WITH OILY CART ............................................ 88
Dream: The Joy of Creating with Oily Cart ............................................................................................. 88
The Creative Process ....................................................................................................................................... 88
Day One: Introductions ............................................................................................................................. 88
Ensemble Creation .................................................................................................................................................... 89
Experimentation ........................................................................................................................................................ 91
Collaboration ............................................................................................................................................................... 92
Day 2: Observation ..................................................................................................................................... 94
Our Environment ....................................................................................................................................................... 94
Our Audience ............................................................................................................................................................... 95
Our Playing Space ...................................................................................................................................................... 97
Day 3: Sharing 1 ........................................................................................................................................... 98
Creation .......................................................................................................................................................................... 98
Sharing 1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 100
Interpretation and Reevaluation ..................................................................................................................... 102
Day 4: Sharing 2 ........................................................................................................................................ 103
Creation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 103
Sharing 2 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 104
Interpretation and Reevaluation ..................................................................................................................... 107
Day 5: Sharing 3 and Saying Goodbye ............................................................................................. 107
Creation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 107
Sharing 3 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 108
Day 6: Sharing as Reflection ................................................................................................................ 110
ix