theatre KAPOW launched Expanding the Canon: a play reading circle in January 2021 to expand our familiarity with the works of Black, Indigenous, Latinx and global majority playwrights. We simply must do the work to change "the canon." Becoming familiar with these works is one small thing that we can do to move toward the equity we want to see in the world. A guest dramaturg will curate a list of plays the circle will read and come together to discuss. Previous circles have focused on works by contemporary Black playwrights, Asian American playwrights, and most recently Native playwrights.
In this fourth circle, Stephanie Barton-Farcas, a theatre artist and author of the book Disability and Theatre: A Practical Manual for Inclusion in the Arts, will lead a study of works by playwrights highlighting the Disabled voice.
Stephanie Barton-Farcas is Artistic Director of Nicu’s Spoon theater, the first company in NYC history to be fully inclusive and specifically work with all disabilities, colors, ages, genders, religions, you name it. She assists with casting for plays, films and TV and actively encourages disabled, women and actors of color to be cast. As a disability and inclusive theater consultant she has worked with companies globally on season selection, access to spaces, fundraising and the creation of inclusive projects and programs.
Stephanie has selected plays by playwrights from all over the country who have written extensively about a community that has been severely underrepresented and even stigmatized in many aspects of American culture. In the preface of her landmark book on inclusivity in the theatre, Stephanie wrote, “Disability history is our shared history as a country whether we acknowledge it or not, as we will all be disabled one day. I am not an activist, although I am an advocate for full inclusion in all things, free expression of art and thought and am a believer in a new theory of accessibility which demands full accessibility for all people in all places at all times.”
Participation is free and the circle will meet over Zoom. Participants are strongly encouraged to purchase copies of the published plays on the list below to support these playwrights. The underlined titles are clickable links to purchase. tKAPOW will purchase and make available a limited number of each play so that expense need not be a barrier to participation. The playscripts that have not been published will be made available to participants as pdfs.
Stephanie will provide a dramaturgical packet for each of the five plays as a resource for reading, study, and conversation.
Reading and Discussion Schedule (Please note: all are Eastern Time)
Sunday, September 10, 2023 at 2 pm: A Nervous Smile by John Belluso
Sunday, October 8, 2023 at 2 pm: Staring Back by Susan Nussbaum and Lawrence Perkins (pdf will be emailed)
Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 2 pm: I Never Slept with Helen Keller by Raymond Luczak (pdf will be emailed)
Sunday, January 14, 2024 at 2 pm: A Therapy Session with Myself by Anthony J. Piccione
Sunday, February 11, 2024, at 2 pm: Blanche and Stella by A.A. Brenner (pdf will be emailed)
This project was made possible with support from New Hampshire Humanities, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities. Learn more at www.nhhumanities.org/
Previous Circles:
Expanding the Canon 1
Expanding the Canon 2
Expanding the Canon 3