Advocacy

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  • 1.  She Kills Monsters / Kelly

    Posted 03-21-2025 09:58

    I tried to find a thread about this but couldn't, so forgive me if this is a repeat convo -- 

    I'm curious to know how folks have addressed Kelly's disability in productions of She Kills Monsters. I strongly believe that disability representation (and diverse representation in general) must be woven into all theatrical and educational processes. However, I also understand that in order to commit to representation fully, folks who are a part of the population being represented must play those roles - in other words, if there is no one in our actor pool with cerebral palsy, I don't feel it is appropriate to keep that as a part of Kelly's character. 

    How have other folks engaged with this issue?

    Thanks for your thoughts.



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    Betsy S. Goldman, she/any
    Theatre & Research Teacher
    Meridian Academy
    Jamaica Plain, MA
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  • 2.  RE: She Kills Monsters / Kelly

    Posted 03-27-2025 12:48

    Hi Betsy,

    When I worked at Disney Theatrical Productions, we created a production handbook for directors looking to produce Newsies on their high school stages. It includes an article written about performing disability written by Greg Mozgala, a Kennedy Citizen Artist Fellow and disabled artist and creator, that may help guide you in this area.

    Best,



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    Matt Curtis
    Senior Creative Director
    Educational Theatre Association
    Boston, MA
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