"Revolution" to be Presented as part of the Neurodivergent New Play Series
Kyle A. Smith's new drama will be directed by Dave Osmundsen as part of Piccione Arts's ongoing play series dedicated to neurodivergent empowerment
Press contact: neurodivergentplays@gmail.com
This May, the Neurodivergent New Play Series continues with a reading of Revolution - written by Kyle A. Smith and directed by Dave Osmundsen - at A.R.T./New York’s South Oxford Space, located at 138 South Oxford Studio, Brooklyn, NY on May 18th at 2pm EST.
Tickets are available at www.ticketleap.events/tickets/neurodivergentplays/the-neurodivergent-new-play-series, with a minimum $10 donation for limited in-person seating & pay-what-you-can for at-home for at-home livestreaming up to two weeks after the live performance. Regular updates are available at www.linktr.ee/neurodivergentplays and on Instagram & Facebook @neurodivergentplays.
Revolution follows Klay, a young autistic man spending most of his time at Blessed Tavern in an afterlife reserved for people who have committed suicide. Like everyone here, he wants out. As unrest brews outside the tavern, Klay learns to appreciate what he has with the help of a new friend, as others go to extraordinary lengths to escape their afterlives. Revolution is a play about finding contentment in the here and now, rather than facing the unknown.
“This was the first full length play I ever wrote, years and years ago in undergrad,” according to Smith on the origins of the play. “As a person coming to terms with their own mental illness and neurodivergence, I decided to write the play I wish I had seen when I was going through some of my worst depressive episodes. A play that said, "you can appreciate what you have" instead of seeking escape in the unknown.”
“I was particularly drawn to Revolution due to its characters and their relationships to one another—these people, who each have one devastating commonality, are presented with the possibility of either joining the revolution taking place outside the bar they hang out at or stay in and allow nothing to change,” according to Osmundsen, on why he chose to direct the piece. “Even though these people are at their most broken, their relationship to the “revolution” outside reveals layers of character depth. They are at their most broken, but they continue to seek out purpose, even if it means assisting with bar upkeep. It’s a play about the change we can make in our lives, if we are willing to look beyond ourselves.”
Both openly autistic artists, Smith and Osmundsen both spoke of the continued need for neurodivergent empowerment in the industry. “There's still tremendous stigma, so much so that I know writers who are still afraid of outing themselves as disabled for fear of damage it could to do their career,” according to Smith, “[a]nd the more people see neurodivergent writers existing in this space, neurodivergent characters outside of the same stereotyped roles we have always seen, the more, I think, we can work toward attaining equality for disabled artists.”
“The best way the industry can empower neurodivergent artists, I think, is to presume competence,” adds Osmundsen. “Some neurodivergent folks lack executive function. This does not equate to incompetence or “laziness.” This means that we may need more support than most to be our best selves. When we have the assumption of competence vested in us, there is a trust that builds, and a reassurance that our contributions are valuable. Speaking for myself, I bristle at the unspoken social rules of an industry that withholds the rule book form everyone. Let’s empower neurodivergent theatre makers by not only uplifting their voices, but emphasizing transparency, honesty, and a mindset of, “What do you need, and what can you provide?”
Founded in 2023 by award-winning autistic playwright and producer Anthony J. Piccione, the Neurodivergent New Play Series is dedicated to presenting matinee readings on the 3rd Sunday of every month - with seasonal breaks in December, January, July, and August - of plays written entirely by neurodivergent and disabled playwrights (i.e. autism, ADHD, dyslexia, OCD, Tourette syndrome, etc.) as part of a growing resident company of playwrights whose interests and specialties span a wide range of subjects, genres & structural approaches, with each play personally selected from a neuroinclusive resident company of directors. Learn more at www.linktr.ee/neurodivergentplays or by following @neurodivergentplays on Instagram and Facebook.
The Neurodivergent New Play Series is sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by Brooklyn Arts Council.