Epic Players By Janice Corrado (USA, mum, educator, advocate for diversity)
Theatre is a magical experience, whether you are a spellbound audience member, a cast member working backstage to create a story setting, or a performer shining in the glow of the spotlight. But the magic of EPIC Players, a nonprofit theatre company based in New York City, creates shining opportunities for members with developmental disabilities in many ways. I purposefully spent time with executive and artistic director Aubrie Therrien to discover what’s behind the magic — and the remarkable success — of this unique theatre company.
Making the Magic of Thea Accessible to All
Nada Smith singing at
EPIC’s Cabaret at Joe’s
Pub at The Public.Photo
credit: Levue Photography, Gabriel Johnson
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PIC Players, founded on August 25 2016, lives up to its name — Empower, Perform, Include, Create — by providing opportunities for collaboration between neurotypical theatre professionals and neurodiverse members through mainstage productions, cabarets, and “EPIC Underground” openmic performances. “We started EPIC Players four years ago, with twenty players and a very small budget,” Aubrie Therrien, the founder and executive and artistic director, shares. “Today, we are sixty-six members strong, with triple the budget. All our fundraising goes into our productions, and we are proud to say that all of our members are paid for their contributions to our highquality productions. There is lots of pride in what we develop and perform.” Among the company members, about 25% are neurotypical professionals, and 75% are neurodiverse. Each season, the company meets together to determine what the focus of their productions will be. Everyone’s input is encouraged, and the company looks for an opportunity to provide a wide variety of theatre experiences. “We look for productions that can represent all of our players so that everyone has a chance to shine,” Aubrie notes. “We produce two mainstage shows a year, one of which is a musical,” Aubrie says. “We also do two cabarets each year, where our members have an opportunity to highlight their particular talents. In addition, we have our EPIC Underground events, which are like open-mic nights and are lots of fun. Right now, we are in the process of creating our first original musical, which is so exciting!” Once the group has brainstormed ideas for the season, they narrow the focus to five or six plays. Then the players have the opportunity to really delve deep into the learning process. “The company is structured along two tracks: a conservatory or educational track and a performance track,” Aubrie explains. In the conservatory setting, members can select from over 100 free performing arts classes each year. “Once we have determined the plays we will produce for the year, we obtain copies of the plays, and all members watch and critique numerous video performances, break down and act out the scenes,” Aubrie says. “We learn so much from each production. It’s exciting to see the growth of our actors over time and to see them guide and mentor our new members.”
Representation is so important: You can’t be what you can’t see.
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makingchromosomescount.co.uk
EPIC’s vision is to provide an elevated platform for neurodiverse communities to be both represented and heard.
arts and LEISURE
