Off Broadway (and sometimes Broadway) Reviews and Information.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Theater Breaking Through Barriers

The play reviewed below (Bass for Piscasso) was presented by Theater Breaking Through Barriers (TBTB). This is a Off-Broadway company that integrates able-bodied actors with artists with disabilities.
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The woman on the left (holding the artificial leg) is Anita Hollander, an actress in "Bass for Picasso" and the East Coast National Chair of the AFTRA Performers with Disabilities committee. Ms. Hollander lost one leg to cancer.
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One thing I found interesting and refreshing in the show was that the actress' artificial limb was incorporated into the show. It was not mentioned as a joke nor as a plot device. The show merely noted that she had a artificial limb, as anyone watching the show would note.
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Of course, the picture her veers into farce - on purpose.
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But I think the idea of TBTB is exempleary. The group chooses to mainstream actors with disabilities by portraying them as they would be portrayed in real life.
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And, as I note, I though Ms. Hollander was excellent.

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