Playbill for A Fierce Kind of Love(Cover images: two young women in a dance move looking toward each other with their arms

extended and reaching forward so their hands touch. Also, Institute on Disabilities at Temple

University logo)

A Fierce Kind of Love A new play by Suli Holum

Directed by David Bradley

The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University

The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University is one of the sixty-seven University Centers for

Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service funded by the

Administration on Developmental Disabilities, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Established in 1974, The Institute learns from and works with people with disabilities and their families

in diverse communities across Pennsylvania to create and share knowledge, change systems, and

promote self-determined lives so that disability is recognized as a natural part of the human

experience. We believe in a society where all people are valued and respected, and where all people

have the knowledge, opportunity and power to improve their lives and the lives of others.

www.temple.edu/disabilities

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage is a multidisciplinary grantmaker and hub for knowledge sharing,

funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, and dedicated to fostering a vibrant cultural community in

Greater Philadelphia. The Center fulfills this mission by investing in ambitious, imaginative arts and

heritage projects that showcase the region’s cultural vitality and enhance public life, and by engaging

in an exchange of ideas concerning artistic and interpretive practice with a broad network of cultural

leaders. For more information, visit www.pcah.us.

The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University presents A Fierce Kind of Love:

A new play by Suli Holum

Directed by David Bradley

Sound Design Christopher Colucci

Choreography Nichole Canuso

Scenic Design Colin McIlvaine

Lighting Design Lily Fossner

Costume Design Rosemarie McKelvey

Stage Manager Chelsea Sanz

Producer Lisa Sonneborn

Guest Producer Ken Klaus

Major support for A Fierce Kind of Love is provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

The videotaping and other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

[logos: The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University and

Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC)]

A Note from the Producer

Tonight’s performance is the culmination of a journey that began at a diner on Frankford Avenue-—

The Trolley Car. Some of you have heard this story before. I was having breakfast with two friends —

mentors really—who have taught me what it means to parent a child with a disability. As I listened,

enthralled, to the stories of Dee Coccia and Maureen Devaney (mothers with about 80 years of

disability activism between them) I blurted out, “We need to get these stories in writing before you die!”

There, in that diner on Frankford Avenue, the Visionary Voices project was born.

The project has taken on a life I would have never expected—oral histories, archives, a photographic

essay, audio interviews of people with disabilities living and working in segregated settings, and now a

play—A Fierce Kind of Love. My esteemed colleague Sue Swenson lost her son Charlie several years

ago. In a Listserv devoted to the inclusion of people with disabilities Sue was describing the love of a

child with a disability. She described it succinctly—it’s a fierce kind of love. And the play was named.

The telling of stories is, in many ways, an act of faith. The teller invites the listener in and, by listening,

barriers are broken down. A Fierce Kind of Love tells stories you may not know—stories of fierce

advocates like Leona Fialkowski, Ginny Thornburgh and Roland Johnson among others. Stories of

parents and children; brothers and sisters; teachers and friends. For forty years, these stories have

belonged to the disability community; tonight they belong to us all.

Celia S. Feinstein, Co-Executive Director, Institute on Disabilities at Temple University

A Note from the Director

Here Now

We began making this play with two days we called “Listening Days.” Suli and I met parents and

siblings of people with disabilities and self-advocates and long-time professionals who worked in the

disability community. We were ready to ask lots of questions. But we only had to ask the first one.

Everyone was that ready to share. We just had to listen.

Last month, another part of this project opened at City Hall—an exhibit of photographs and stories of

people with intellectual disabilities who live in Selinsgrove Center or work at KenCrest Services. The

exhibit is called, simply, “Here.”

Listen. Here. Here, listen. Listen—here.

That’s a pretty good way to enter into the audience of A Fierce Kind of Love. No matter how you got to

this room, or where you came from, or whom you are with, or who or what you know in regards to this

play, we celebrate that you are here. Now.

No matter how you listen—with ears, or eyes, or whole body—and whether you know some of these

stories from before or are hearing them for the first time, we’re grateful for your listening.

We’ve thought of A Fierce Kind of Love as an “event” as much as a “play.” The event of this diverse

cast. The event of names like Eleanor Elkin or Leona Fiakowski taking center stage. The event of

personal stories—some triumphant, some painful—shared for the first time. The event of people who

speak with voices and people who speak with hands, people who move on legs and people who move

on wheels all making something.

In making this play, way more than any other play I’ve done, I’ve become conscious of the wildly

varied ways we live in the world. Each of us with our abilities. Each of us with the things we struggle

with. Each of us with a fierce capacity to shut people out or let people in. And how hard it is to

embrace the event of being here, together. That’s all part of this story.

This is a story about all of us. It’s happening right now. Thanks for listening. We’re glad you’re here.

David Bradley, Director

Cast

(in alphabetical order)

Shawn Aelong

Charlie DelMarcelle*

Lee Ann Etzold*

Michael McLendon

Lori McFarland

Erin McNulty

Marcia Saunders*

Cathy Simpson*

Brian Anthony Wilson*

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers

Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), founded in 1913, represents more than 50,000 actors and stage

managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theater as

an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a

wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is

affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our

mark of excellence.

www.actorsequity.org

(Actors’ Equity Logo)

About the Artists

Suli Holum, Playwright

Suli Holum is an award-winning director, performer, choreographer and playwright based in

Brooklyn, NY. She is Co-Artistic Director of Stein | Holum Projects (SHP) with playwright

Deborah Stein. SHP projects include: Drama Desk nominated solo show Chimera, developed

at HERE, premiered at Under The Radar and toured to The Gate, London; Movers and

Shakers, recipient of the Loewe Award from New Dramatists and developed at UCSD; The

Wholehearted commissioned by ArtsEmerson, developed at FringeArts and supported by the

New England Foundation of the Arts National Touring Project; and Man Camp, currently under

construction. Holum was a co-founder of Pig Iron Theatre Company, developing original work

between 1995 and 2006 including as a creator/performer in Shut Eye with legendary director

Joseph Chaikin, and playwright for Gentlemen Volunteers, awarded a ‘Spirit of the Fringe’

Award at Edinburgh Fringe and published in Pig Iron: 3 Plays (53rd Street Press). Her first solo

show, The Lollipop Projects, was developed through an Independence Foundation Individual

Artist Fellowship and a Shell Fellowship in Drama from the National Institute of Education,

Singapore. Her other recent work as a devising writer of new performance includes Wandering

Alice with Nichole Canuso Dance Company and Oedipus at FDR with Emmanuelle Delpech,

Fighting for Democracy at the National Constitution Center, and One Beach Road with

RedCape Theatre, UK. Her work has been supported by Workhaus Collective, The Playlabs

Festival at the Playwrights Center, NACL, Perry Mansfield New Works Festival and Actors

Theatre of Louisville, the Swarthmore Project, the Creativity Fund at New Dramatists,

ArtsEmerson, New Georges, Clubbed Thumb, and Playwrights’ Horizons. She teaches at Pace

University.

David Bradley, Director David Bradley is a director, producer and teaching artist whose work includes making plays,

leading a range of boundary-crossing artistic collaborations and exploring civic and community

themes through the arts. A long-time company member at People’s Light, his more than 30

productions include Row After Row, Of Mice and Men, The Crucible, A View From the Bridge,

Young Lady From Rwanda, Doubt, The Giver and three holiday pantos. David is Founding

Director of LiveConnections, which creates innovative, collaborative music programs for adults

and youth out of partner venue World Cafe Live. He’s Artistic Director of Living News, in its

10th season of dramatizing Constitutional issues at the National Constitution Center, where he

also directed the exhibition/theater hybrid Fighting for Democracy, written by Suli Holum. He’s

a frequent collaborator with Philadelphia Young Playwrights, leading a range of multi-

generational collaborations, including directing The Lost Hour at the Kimmel Center for the

2013 Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts. David is a participating artist with Outside

the Wire, which creates theater projects addressing public health and social issues, and has

led and facilitated projects for them at conferences and military bases across the country and

in the Middle East. He teaches at Arcadia University and has taught at University of the Arts.

David is a graduate of Yale University. He lives in West Mt. Airy with his wife Margaret and

sons Jacob and Noah. For Michele and her parents, with love and appreciation.

Lisa Sonneborn, Producer

For over twenty years, Lisa’s documentary film and video work has been used to promote

social action in the disability community. As producer of the Institute on Disabilities’ A Fierce

Kind of Love and Visionary Voices projects, Lisa works to preserve the history of

Pennsylvania’s Intellectual Disability Rights Movement through oral history interviews with the

Movement’s leaders, the preservation of archival documents significant to the Movement and

public performance. Lisa hopes you’ll enjoy this unique telling of a largely untold civil rights

story. She has fierce love for this gifted group of artists and for all those who shared their

stories. For my family and for my father—love you most.

Shawn Aleong, actor, is excited and humbled to be making his debut with A Fierce Kind of

Love. Shawn is a graduate of Davison High school, where he was the Valedictorian of his

class. While at school, he was very involved in the music program, playing the xylophone for

school concerts and performing with the school choir. Shawn currently attends Temple

University, where he is studying law. He is involved with many campus organizations including

Temple Student Government, Temple Black Law Association, and the NAACP where he

serves on the State Board as Juvenile Justice Chair. He also serves on the board of the ARC

of Philadelphia. He is passionate about advocating for the rights of people with disabilities.

Shawn would like to thank his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for this amazing opportunity, his

mother Janice, his step-father Ivy, his family and friends, his Sharon Baptist Church Family,

the Institute on Disabilities, and his Temple University family. Special thanks to Celia, Lisa,

David and Suli.

Charlie DelMarcelle, actor, has appeared at: The Walnut Street Theatre, Pig Iron Theatre

Company., Theater Horizon, Delaware Theatre Co., Inis Nua, The Lantern Theatre, Azuka

Theatre Collective, EgoPo Classic Theatre, Commonwealth Classic Theatre, Delaware

Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare in Clark Park, White Box Theatre, and Amaryllis.

He is so very pleased and incredibly honored to have been part of this process. Special thanks

to Lisa, Suli, David, John, Chris, Colin, Chelsea and this incredibly supportive cast and crew.

Lee Ann Etzold, actor, is a Philadelphia-based theatre artist who has worked in the UK, Spain,

France, Czech Republic, and regionally in the US. She is a founding member of OBIE award-

winning physical theatre company, New Paradise Laboratories, and has also created original

work independently, and with Pig Iron Theatre Company, Headlong Dance Theatre, Lucidity

Suitcase Intercontinental, Charlotte Ford, and Tony Award winner, Bill Irwin (Barrymore Award

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play). A Virginia Tech grad, she studied clown in Paris,

completed the Lincoln Center Theater’s, Director’s Lab, in New York, and is a member of the

Young Vic Directors Programme in London. She is a teaching artist and has also directed new

works for Philly Young Playwrights, 1812 Productions, Brat Productions, Brian Sanders’ JUNK,

and is creating neighborhood art in South Philadelphia. So thankful for her loving family, this

beautiful cast, and this fierce project.

Michael McLendon, actor, is excited to be making his debut with A Fierce Kind of Love. Michael is a graduate of Furness High School and Temple University’s Academy for Adult

Learning. While attending the Academy, Michael took an acting class, which is when his

interest in performing began.

When not performing, Michael works as an office assistant for the Institute on Disabilities at

Temple University. He enjoys relaxing at home and watching NetFlix with his fiancé Charlene.

Michael would like to thank David Bradley and Suli Holum for helping him to become a great

actor. He would also like to thank choreographer Nichole Canuso and all the Fierce cast and

crew.

Lori McFarland, actor, is looking forward to making her debut in A Fierce Kind of Love. As a

self-advocate, Lori is excited to be part of a play that explores the diversity of the disability

community. Lori wears many different hats when advocating for herself and others. She serves

on the Futures Planning Committee of the Office of Developmental Programs and she is a

member of Self-Advocates United as 1. Lori’s advocacy takes her to Harrisburg frequently.

When not advocating or performing, Lori keeps busy with needlepoint, shopping and reading.

She also works at APS Day Program and belongs to the Handicap Crusaders club of

Levittown. Lori would like to thank her support group, friends, co-workers and especially her

family for helping her to find the courage to become an actor. She would also like to thank her

mother, who is her guardian angel, for bringing her into the world.

Erin McNulty, actor, is delighted to be making her debut with A Fierce Kind of Love. While

attending St. Katherine Day School/Archbishop Carroll HS, Erin performed in 12 plays,

including Beauty and the Beast, Aida, Seussical and West Side Story.

Erin is a 2013 graduate of Temple University’s Academy for Adult Learning where her interests

included public speaking, interpretive dance and an acting class. While enrolled at Temple,

Erin became involved with A Fierce Kind of Love as a cast member from its inception.

When not performing, Erin also works at Giant and TJ Maxx where she works as a customer

service associate and an inventory clerk. Erin enjoys Special Olympics, music, bowling,

spending time with her girlfriends, watching Project Runway and numerous other activities.

She would like to thank Lisa Sonneborn, David Bradley, LeeAnn Etzold and all the members of

the cast and crew, as well as her parents.

Marcia Saunders, actor, has been an active member of the acting company with The People’s

Light and Theater since 1976 appearing in over 85 productions. She most recently played Mrs.

Jennings in Sense and Sensibility. Over the past four years Marcia’s has immensely enjoyed

participating in the many workshops that have helped to shape and create this final production

of A Fierce Kind of Love. A big thank you goes out to Lisa, David, Suli, Christopher, Nicole and

the entire creative staff and cast connected with this production. It’s been one joyful theatrical

ride!!

Cathy Simpson, actor, is a company member of People’s Light and the “Freedom Rising”

Company at the National Constitution Center. Her work in some local theaters include InterAct,

Philadelphia Theatre Company, Philly Shakes, Hedgerow Theatre, Arden Theatre, Wilma

Theater, Flashpoint Theatre and Theatre Horizon. Regional theater credits include, Arena

Stage, The Kennedy Center, Studio Theatre, Source Theatre, Wooly Mammoth, Olney Theatre

Center, St. Louis Black Rep, St. Louis Rep., Indiana Rep.

She is a three-time Barrymore nominee and a winner for the Freedom Theatre production of

The Old Settler, and a Kevin Kline Award winner for St. Louis Black Rep’s production of A

Song for Coretta. She has also been nominated twice for the Helen Hayes Awards in

Washington D.C. and won the Best Performer Award in Toyama, Japan. Her film and

television credits include, local television commercials, PBS Educational Series, Indy films as

well as First Run Films. This show is for my mother who dedicated her life to the education of

those with intellectual challenges!

Brian Anthony Wilson, actor, is honored to have been a member of this diverse and wonderful

cast from the beginning! Recent Theater: Driving Miss Daisy (Act II Playhouse), All My Sons

(People’s Light), The Last Jimmy (Grand Performances, L.A.), Hand’s Up (Flashpoint), Rage of

Achilles (Commonwealth Classic) and A Midsummer’s Night Dream (Phila. Shakespeare Co.).

Film/TV credits include : CREED, The Benefactor, Crooked and Narrow, When The Moon Was

Twice As Big, Zombie Killers: E.G., Assumption of Risk, Limitless / Blue Bloods, Broad City,

Do No Harm, Law and Order: SVU, The Sopranos and The Wire. Many thanks to David, Suli

and Lisa for this amazing opportunity. For my Family.

Kenneth S. Klaus, Guest Producer

Ken Klaus is a passionate supporter of Temple’s Institute on Disabilities Visionary Voices

initiative and is excited to be a sponsor of A Fierce Kind Of Love.

No stranger to intellectual disabilities, he grew up watching, learning and living with the

significant challenges of his extended family members. After decades of strife under extremely

harsh conditions, including an interminable stay at Ebensburg State School and Hospital, his

first-cousin with Down syndrome is now living happily and comfortably in a suburban

Philadelphia group home. She is safe and comfortable there and enjoys time with her sister,

who continues in the tireless role as her lead advocate.

As a lifetime resident of the Philadelphia area, Ken remains deeply committed to social justice.

He is a past member of the Board of S.C.A.N, Inc. (Supportive Child-Adult Network, or Stop

Child Abuse Now) and is now retired after a career in project management in the field of

Information Technology. He also serves as a volunteer for Surrey Senior Services of Devon,

PA.

Christopher Colucci, Music, Sound Design

Christopher’s recent projects include Metamorphoses (Arden); Disgraced (PTC); Peter and the

Starcatcher (Walnut); Smoke (Theater Exile). Christopher has received seven Barrymore

Awards for Outstanding Original Music and Sound Design as well as an Independence

Foundation Fellowship in the Arts in 2012. For more sounds please visit

http://soundcloud.com/cmsound and http://www.youtube.com/user/cmsound

Nichole Canuso, Choreographer

Nichole is the artistic director of Nichole Canuso Dance, which she founded in 2004. She has

performed and collaborated with Headlong, Pig Iron Theater Company, Theater Exile, Early

Morning Opera, Bill Irwin. Support for Canuso’s choreography includes grants from The

National Endowment for the Arts and The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage and choreographic

residencies at Maggie Allesse National Center for Choreography (MANCC), Millay Colony for

the Arts (NY), BiLateral Exchange (Budapest, Hungary). She is currently on faculty at

Headlong Performance Institute (HPI) and Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training

(APT). She has big love for everyone working on this project.

Colin McIlvaine, Scenic Designer

Colin’s most recent design credits include: Smoke (Theatre Exile), Lights Rise on Grace

(Azuka Theatre), According to Goldman (Act 2 Playhouse), Three Christs of Manhattan

(Interact Theatre). Colin’s recent assistant and associate design credits include: Futurity (Soho

Rep/Ars Nova), Dr. Dog: Swamp is On (Pig Iron/Dr. Dog), Sunset 0639 (BalletX). In addition to

his freelance career, Colin is an adjunct lecturer at The University of the Arts. B.A. University of

Maryland; MFA Scenic Design Temple University.

www.colinmcilvaine.com

Lily Fossner, Lighting Designer

Lily’s theatre credits Include: People’s Light, Act II, TACT, Culture Project/Public Theatre,

Prospect Theater Company, NYU/Grad Acting, Chautauqua Theater Company, Berkshire

Theatre Festival, and Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Her dance credits Include: Doug

Varone and Dancers, Monica Bill Barnes and Company, and Wideman/Davis Dance. Opera

credits Include: Juilliard Opera Theatre, Glimmerglass Festival / Training: MFA, NYU/Tisch.

See Lily’s work at lilyfossner.com

Rosemarie McKelvey, Costume Designer Rosemarie is a Philadelphia based costume designer. Locally she designs for Arden Theatre,

People’s Light and Theatre, Wilma Theatre, New Paradise Labs, 1812 Productions, Curtis

Institute of Music, and Villanova University. Rosemarie is a nine time Barrymore Award

Nominee and was awarded in 2007 and 2009. Rosemarie attended the 2011 Prague

Quadrennial Festival with The Philadelphia Theatre Initiative and was granted a fellowship

through the Independence Foundation to travel to London and investigate what new advances

in technology and science are being used in art and design. Rosemarie is an adjunct professor

at Moore College of Art and Design. rosemariemckelvey.com

Chelsea Sanz, Stage Manager

Chelsea is ecstatic to be a part of this production. Chelsea’s recent stage management credits

include: G4 Productions (Menopause the Musical and Motherhood the Musical), Theatre

Horizon (Lobby Hero, In The Blood, Holiday Show, Complete Works Abridged), The Lantern

Theater Company (Arcadia), White Pines Productions (Luckiest Kid/The Music You

Remember), Act II Playhouse/Society Hill Playhouse (ASM for RESPECT: The Musical

Journey of Women and On Golden Pond). Up Next: Fully Committed with Theatre Horizon.

Chelsea is a proud member of Actors’ Equity. Love to Mia.

Betsy Pierce, Assistant Stage Manager

Betsy is thrilled to be working on this production. Past shows include: Lantern Theatre Co:

Oscar Wilde: From the Depths (Board Op), Taming of the Shrew (Board Op), Arcadia (Run

Crew). People’s Light: My Mother Has 4 Noses (ASM), Dear Elizabeth (ASM), Pride and

Prejudice (ASM), Cinderella: A Musical Panto (ASM), Noises Off (ASM).

John Flak, Production Manager

John Flak is excited to be working on such an inspirational production and to being a part of

this amazing company. John has been a theater professional for over 26 years in Chicago,

Vermont, New York and Philadelphia. John is also a photographer and he loves to cook. Much

love and thanks to my family—Jenny, Rainey and Harper.

Seth Thomas Schmitt-Hall, Technical Director

Seth Thomas is the Technical Director at Abington Friends School, where he can corrupt

young minds with a career in the Arts. Seth is a freelance Technical Director, working in the

past with Spoleto Festival USA, Opera Philadelphia, The Bearded Ladies, and Pig Iron Theatre

Co.. He has also designed around the Philadelphia area including Lantern Theater, Villanova

University, Delaware County Community College, and the kids series at the Walnut Street

Theater. Education: Temple (BA) and Villanova (MA). Love to Sara.

Chris Sannio, Audio Engineer

Chris is a Philadelphia based sound designer, composer, and engineer. Proud to be working

with this group of artists, Chris also heads up the audio department at FringeArts and is the

audio engineer for Jazz it Up Philly. Recent engineering credits include Daniel Wohl’s

Holographic, Adam Rudolph’s Go Organic Guitar Orchestra, and ALT/MODE by Anonymous

Bodies featuring Chuck Treece and Ryat. Favorite design credits include Audi Feastival 2015

(FringeArts), Revolution and a Sandwich (Shakedown Project), Listen to Me (Bryn Mawr

College), and The Bald Soprano (Curio Theatre Company).

Hands UP Productions

Hands Up is thrilled to be partnering with the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University to

provide American Sign Language (ASL) accessibility for this creative, innovative and inclusive

production. As Hands UP Productions, Donna Ellis and Brian Morrison have enjoyed providing

ASL interpreted accessibility to many local theaters, Broadway tours, concert venues, museum

exhibits and many more cultural events throughout the Philadelphia region. They are looking

forward to beginning their 10th anniversary season this fall. Congratulations to the entire team

of A Fierce Kind of Love!

Brandice Mazick, ASL/English InterpreterBrandice is a nationally certified ASL/English Interpreter who has been working in the

Philadelphia area for 17 years. She been interpreting specifically in the theater off and on for

the past 10 years. In her previous life, Brandice was a social worker and direct care staff

person for adults with intellectual disabilities and working on AFKOL has been a wonderful

moment of synergy between those two worlds. She is honored and humbled to have been a

part of this production and has enjoyed every moment of its evolution.

Kerry Patterson, ASL/English Interpreter

Kerry is ecstatic to be joining AFKOL for her first theater experience! She has been working in

the Deaf community for the past five years, and is a soon-to-be graduate of the Interpreter

Training Program at Community College of Philadelphia. This opportunity would not be

possible without the guidance and support from Brandi and Heather- you guys are AMAZING!

Most important, thank you to the incredible AFKOL cast and crew for an experience I will never

forget.

Heather Schmerman, ASL/English Interpreter

Heather Schmerman is a Chicago native and currently resides in Philadelphia. She has been a

professional American Sign Language Instructor and Coach for over seven years. She has

consulted with theater interpreters on more than 15 plays and musicals. Heather has been

performing in plays since 1988 and received theatre training at the Center on the Deafness in

Chicago, as well as acted in the CenterLight Family Theatre, the Apple Tree Theatre, the

Bailiwick Chicago Theatre, and the Youth Scholar Program at Gallaudet University. She has

enjoyed ASL consulting with the People’s Light & Theatre Company and the Broadway

Theater in Philadelphia for the performances of Cinderella, Porgy Bess, South Pacific, Annie,

Once, Sound of Music and many more. Heather holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication

and is a certified American Sign Language Teacher’s Association member. Heather has also

taught workshops on non-verbal and visual communication in the medical field and other

professional environments. She is also fluent in Australian Sign Language and has provided

many Australian leadership workshops. A Fierce Kind of Love is Heather’s first collaboration

with the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University and she is thrilled to be part of the team!

Corrin Zimmerman, ASL/English Interning InterpreterCorri Zimmerman is an interning interpreter who studied at the Community College of

Philadelphia. She is overjoyed to be working with Hands Up Productions for the very first time

for this production. The opportunity to combine her love of theater with her passion for

interpreting has been one that she will continue to cherish for years to come. Corri has

learned so much in her life from her sister, Erin, who has autism and OCD; her strength and

resilience has long been an inspiration. Working on AFKOL has been an amazing experience

which gave an incredible sense of community. It has been a honor to be a part of the show!

Liz Green, Community Engagement ConsultantLiz Green designs audience engagement and community performance programs with her

company Arts Approach. She is the director for the documentary theater company OnStage

Seniors at McCarter Theatre and a frequent Audience Experience Manager for Team

Sunshine Performance Corporation. Past partners include JJ Tiziou Photography’s How Philly

Moves, FringeArts’ presentation of Rimini Protokoll’s 100% Philadelphia, Shakespeare in Clark

Park’s Henry IV: Your Prince and Mine, and The Mendelssohn Club’s Turbine. She studied

performance and civic dialogue with Sojourn Theatre, documentary theater with Ping Chong

and Company, and is earning a Master in Social Work Degree at Temple University.

Roger Ideshi, Arts and Accessibility Advisor

Roger I. Ideishi, JD, OT/L, FAOTA is Program Director and Associate Professor of Temple

University’s Program in Occupational Therapy. He advises various cultural arts organizations

on building meaningful experiences for individuals with cognitive and developmental

disabilities. The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts and the Smithsonian Institution

(Washington, DC), Imagination Stage (Bethesda, MD), Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh

Symphony Orchestra, and Andy Warhol Museum (Pittsburgh, PA), New Jersey Center for

Aquatic Science (Camden, NJ), People’s Light Theatre (Malvern, PA), Walnut Street Theatre

(Philadelphia, PA) are a few of the community organizations where he advises on arts and

accessibility.

Nick Jonczak, Box Office Manager

Nick is a freelance creative producer and production manager of artistic projects and events

ranging in scale and timeline. A 2015 graduate of the Pig Iron School for Advanced

Performance Training, Nick also performs and produces work with Almanac Dance Circus

Theatre (www.thealmanac.us). He serves as the production manager for the non-profit

Invisible River (www.invisibleriver.org), which hosts an annual all-day community event

culminating in a live aerialist dance performance on the Schuylkill River with more than 1,000

participants and spectators in attendance. Recently he founded Seven Engines

(www.sevenengines.com), which provides administrative and production support for

independent artists and events.

Michaela Moore, Box Office Assistant Manager

Michaela Moore is a Theatre Devisor/Producer/Performer who has premiered shows locally,

nationally and internationally. She is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the

Arts, has a graduate certificate in devised theatre from The Pig Iron School for Advanced

Performing Training and is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in devised theatre from The

University of the Arts. She is the founder of both All About Theatre Performing Arts School and

Camp Create, a comprehensive arts camp for children with intellectual, emotional and physical

disabilities. She teaches acting and theater devising to adult students with intellectual

disabilities and they teach her everything else. She is thrilled to be a part of A Fierce Kind of

Love.

Production Team

o Ben Levan, Master Electrician

o Joe Daniels, Carpenter

o Rajiv Shah, Carpenter

o Lucas Nguyen, Electrician

o Kelly Orenshaw, Electrician

o Erick Alfisi, Electrician

About our Partners

JJ Tiziou, Photographer

Jacques-Jean “JJ” Tiziou is a photographer specializing in portraiture and movement

documentation; he has never encountered an un-photogenic person in his life. He has been

recognized as one of Philadelphia’s “Creative Connectors” by Leadership Philadelphia, and is

the recipient of the Spiral-Q Artist Activist Award. His images are used both in corporate and

editorial contexts as well as arts and activism, and he also photographs weddings and hosts

house concerts. His 85,000 sq ft How Philly Moves mural at PHL International Airport was

recognized as one of the nation’s best public art projects by Americans for the Arts in their

2012 Public Art Network Year in Review. You can find more of his work online at

www.jjtiziou.net, www.HowPhillyMoves.org and there’s a message that he’d like to share with

you at www.EveryoneIsPhotogenic.com.

Nicki Pombier Berger, Oral Historian

Nicki Pombier Berger is an oral historian working at the intersection of intellectual disability and

social change. Nicki is a graduate of the Oral History Master of Arts program at Columbia

University (2013), where she was a Graduate Fellow in the Future of Disability Studies Group

at the Center for the Study of Social Difference. The centerpiece of her Masters Thesis,

Nothing About Us Without Us, is an online collection of multimedia stories from self-advocates

with Down syndrome. She has presented alongside self-advocates about oral history and

intellectual disability to a variety of audiences, including individuals with Down syndrome and

their family members, oral historians, academics and advocates. Nicki lives in Brooklyn, NY,

with her two sons, Jackson, and Jonah, who has Down syndrome.

Art-Reach

Art-Reach connects traditionally under-served audiences with cultural experiences so they

may enjoy and benefit from the transformative power of the arts. Art-Reach operates on the

belief that the robust culture of our region should be available to everyone, and proudly

partners with those cultural venues, human-service agencies, and individuals who agree. For

27 years, Art-Reach programs have empowered human service organizations to enrich the

lives of their constituents while continuing to deliver high quality service to their community.

Through those partnerships, people with physical and developmental disabilities, low-income

individuals, at-risk youth and the elderly in need, are all able to deeply engage with the arts

with the same confidence and convenience as their fully-abled counterparts. Art-Reach

collaborates with over 175 arts institutions and teaching artists, and serve the constituents of

over 170 human-service agencies in greater Philadelphia. Annually, Art-Reach serves over

17,000 individuals in our region.

First Person Arts

First Person Arts’ mission is to transform the drama of real life into memoir and documentary

art to foster appreciation for our unique and shared experiences. First Person Arts (FPA) uses

personal stories as a catalyst for dialogue, healing, and community building. We work with

individuals from diverse neighborhoods and backgrounds, the region’s premier institutions and

artists from multiple disciplines to build a more tolerant, inclusive community through

storytelling. Our combined live and online audience is 133,000. Personal stories generated at

live events are disseminated to a broad regional and national audience through our weekly

First Person Arts Podcast, curated by an award-winning executive producer; and 255 raw,

unedited stories uploaded to our You Tube channel. The 12th Annual First Person Arts

Festival was nominated for “Best Philadelphia Event” in 2014.

Animating Democracy

Pam Korza and Barbara Schaffer Bacon co-direct Animating Democracy, a program of

Americans for the Arts that inspires, informs, promotes, and connects arts and culture as

potent contributors to community, civic, and social change.

Pam Korza has consulted and offered workshops and presentations on the principles and

practices of arts and civic engagement for artists, cultural organizations, funders, and at cross-

sector gatherings across the country as well as at colleges and universities. Pam serves as a

National Advisory Board member for Imagining America, a consortium of colleges and

universities that supports public scholarship and practice to strengthen the public role and

democratic purposes of the humanities, arts, and design through mutually beneficial campus-

community partnerships.

Barbara Schaffer Bacon, in addition to co-directing Animating Democracy, provides leadership

for Local Arts Advancement at Americans for the Arts. She has worked as a consultant in

program design and evaluation for state and local arts agencies and private foundations

nationally. Barbara served as a trainer/advisor in engagement and dialogue facilitation for

Pennsylvania Quest for Freedom Live and Learn Weekends designed to connect hospitality,

history, and the humanities to create unique travel experiences at Pennsylvania’s Underground

Railroad and the Civil War historic sites. She is president of the Arts Extension Institute, Inc.

and serves on the board of WomanArts, and is a member of the Massachusetts Cultural

Council.

A Brief History of Institutional Care in Pennsylvania

In the mid nineteenth century, the creation of specialized institutions to care for, educate and train

people with intellectual disabilities became the dominant nationwide political response to intellectual

disability. In the face of overcrowding and underfunding, however, this mission was quickly

abandoned. Institutions in Pennsylvania and across the country became large-scale custodial

warehouses. Two of Pennsylvania’s flagship institutions, Polk and Pennhurst, were designed to house

800 ‘patients’. Each grew to house more than three thousand residents at their peak. The

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania would eventually run 14 institutions for people with intellectual

disabilities, 5 of which continue to operate and are now referred to as State Centers.

From 1950 to 1980, Pennsylvania received national attention for both its institutional scandals and its

efforts at reform. To address problems of institutional abuse and overcrowding, in the 1950’s and early

60’s parents focused on institutional expansion and reform while also encouraging the growth of

community services as an alternative to institutional care. At this time, institutions and community

services were seen complimentary service systems, offering parents a range of options for their

children. By the late 1960’s, parents grew increasingly frustrated by the lack of institutional reform and

lack of support for community services. Many adopted a position of “No New Institutional

Construction”. This position encouraged deinstitutionalization and the provision of services in the

community, but allowed institutional placement for those who desired or “needed” it.

In the late 1970’s, parents and others became more adamant about deinstitutionalization, and they

fought successfully to close the Pennhurst State School and Hospital. Closures at Western,

Ebensburg, and Embreeville Centers followed. This litigation did not, though, close all Pennsylvania

institutions. Deinstitutionalization of those who wanted to be served in the community, the prevention

of “unnecessary” institutionalization, and the provision of community services were still prioritized,

rather than closure. In the 1980’s, the growing Self-Advocacy Movement demanded the right to

community inclusion and the end of segregated services. Many self-advocates and parents argued

that any place that denies choice and segregate based on disability should be closed, including large

group homes, day programs and sheltered workshops. As some parents sharpened their position to

focus the abolition of segregated services, though, other parents still saw a role for specialized and

segregated care, and they felt increasingly marginalized.

The successes of deinstitutionalization and community inclusion have been tremendous, but we also

see issues such as social isolation, lack of adequate supports, unemployment, and inadequate

medical care. While some parents press for continued expansion of community supports, other

parents continue to create and fight for specialized and segregated services. Rather than comfortable

alliances across families, parents are to some degree fragmented by different visions of rights, care,

and what it means to be included. Families and self-advocates continue to play complex roles in in this

evolving conversation.

–From Walking the Line between the Past and Future: Parents’ Resistance and Commitment to

Institutionalization, Allison C Carey and Lucy Gu

Significant Events in Pennsylvania’s Intellectual Disability Rights Movement

1968 Suffer the Little ChildrenPennhurst expose by NBC10 reporter Bill Baldini. Money allocated to improve Pennhurst.

1973 Use of cages discovered at Polk Center Superintendent dismissed, later reinstated to another institution.

1971 Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) et al. v Commonwealth of Pennsylvania et al. Lawsuit demands access to education for all handicapped children.

1972 PARC Consent DecreeThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania states that education should be provided for all children regardless of any physical or mental handicap.

1977 Halderman v. Pennhurst State School and Hospital, 446 F. Supp. 1295 (E.D. Pa., 1977) Asserts that the mentally retarded have a constitutional right to living quarters and education. U.S. District Judge Raymond J. Broderick rules that the institution was guilty of violating patient’s constitutional rights.

1987 Pennhurst State School forced to close. Closures at Western Center, Embreeville follow.

Early 1980’s Not in My Backyard Communities protest group homes for people with intellectual disabilities. Many have political support.

1982 Speaking for Ourselves (SFO), Pennsylvania. Self-advocacy organization for people with disabilities emerges as a distinct voice. -1994 Roland Johnson, beloved leader of SFO dies at age 48.

1983 Voice of the Retarded (VOR)Parent group supports the expansion of quality community-based service options; opposes the elimination of specialized facility-based (institutional) options.

1991 Everyday LivesFundamental concept: with the support of family and friends, individuals with disabilities decide

how to live their lives and what supports they need. It also means that they are responsible for their decisions and actions. Shapes statewide policy Pennsylvania for twenty plus years.

1999 Olmstead v L.C., 527 U.S. 581. United States Supreme Court case regarding discrimination against people with mental disabilities. The Supreme Court held that under the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals with mental disabilities have the right to live in the community rather than in institutions if, in the words of the opinion of the Court, “the State’s treatment professionals have determined that community placement is appropriate, the transfer from institutional care to a less restrictive setting is not opposed by the affected individual, and the placement can be reasonably accommodated, taking into account the resources available to the State and the needs of others with mental disabilities.” [1] The case was brought by the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc. on behalf of two women with mental disabilities.

1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)The ADA is a wide-ranging civil rights law that is intended to protect against discrimination based on disability.

2007 Sibling Leadership Network founded Indicative of new interest in experiences of siblings. Mission: provide siblings of individuals with disabilities the information, support, and tools to advocate with their brothers and sisters and to promote the issues important to them and their entire families.

2012 Benjamin v Department of Public Welfare, Commonwealth of PA Class action lawsuit alleges defendants have failed to offer community services to people with intellectual disabilities who live in state centers. Claim this is a violation of the integration mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. Appellants are also residents of state centers whose parents and guardians oppose community placement.

Spread the Word to End the Word CampaignOver 500,000 online pledges to stop using the word “retarded”. Campaign led by a sibling.

Current Issues faced by People with Intellectual and Other Disabilities

Waiting Lists – 13,886 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities are currently waiting for

community based services. 5,602 are in the critical needs category and 4,723 are in the

emergency needs category. The PA Waiting List Campaign has spent 17 years advocating for

the elimination of waiting lists; campaign is run by Vision For Equality. Read more at

www.pawaitinglistcampaign.org/

Pennsylvania is home to more than 142,000 people with intellectual disabilities.

951 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities live in state centers.

2,057 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities live in private intermediate care facilities.

7,577 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities (ages 21-65) work in sheltered workshops.

8,626 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities (ages 21-65) are served by Licensed Day Services at Adult Training Facilities.

5,054 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities are employed in the community.

33.5% Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities live below the poverty line.

Average national hourly wage earned by people with disabilities working in sheltered workshops is $1.36.

Average monthly take home pay for a worker in a sheltered workshop is $175.

Unemployment rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-24) in the U.S. is approximately 77%.

450,000 people with disabilities working in sheltered workshops or taking part in segregated day programs nationwide.

41,000 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities live with aging caregivers.

Learn more about Pennsylvania’s Intellectual Disability Rights Movement at

disabilities.temple.edu/voices

Thank you

Special thanks to

and our Melissa Ann Barr

Allison Carey, PhD

Kevin Casey

Christ ChurchNeighborhood House

Jen Cleary

Ginger DiLello

Sandie Dorsey

Anna Drozdowski

Suzanne Erb

Kelly George, PhD

Jennifer Goldberg

Amy Goldman

Abigail Guay

Susan Fullam

Sally Gould Taylor, PhD

Adora Hatten

Jenna Lastres

Amy Letson

Julie Long

Frank and Michele McNulty

Charlie Miller

Allison Richman

Debbie Robinson

Mary Beth Semerod

Margery Sly

Susie Suh

Kathy Sykes

Megan Thibodeaux

Janice Wertz

Ann Marie White

Temple University Graduate Occupational Therapy Students Fierce Volunteers!

Deep appreciation to those who shared their stories with us: Pamela Abbott and Laurie Scoggins

Bill Baldini

Dee Coccia

Graynle Edwards, PhD

Eleanor Elkin

The Fialkowski Family

Nancy Greenstein

Bill Krebs

Carolyn Morgan

Nancy Schwartz

Ginny Thornburgh

Karl Williams

And many other families, siblings and self-advocates(Christ Church Neighborhood House logo)

Neighborhood House is an arts incubator that supports artists and audiences by providing a platform

for the creation and presentation of new work. We are a program of Christ Church Preservation Trust,

a secular nonprofit that ensures the preservation of and strengthens the multiple communities that use

historic Christ Church properties as a place for community building, personal growth, education, and

artistic expression. For more information and upcoming events: www.neighborhood-house.com

afiercekindoflove.orgJoin us for more A Fierce Kind of Love programming:

Stories in Play – April 9

Sib Slam with First Person Arts – April 13

Here. Stories from Selinsgrove Center and KenCrest Services on view at City Hall,

Philadelphia through May 6

You can’t do this life alone.