I thought you might be interested in this upcoming festival of
theater dealing with neurological conditions, such as autism (and
Aspergers). as you can see there are two shows that deal very
specifically with the topic, both in a very positive manner. Also,
we are looking for panelists to talk about Aspergers and autism in
conjunction with these shows(the panel is on Wed Jan 18 at 6:30pm)

Here are the details:

NEUROfest
January 5 -29

Theater 5
311 West 43rd Street, 5th floor
Tickets: $15, 212-352-3101 or www.theatermania.com

http://www.untitledtheater.com/NEUROfest.html

Untitled Theater Company #61 explores the nexus of science and art
in NEUROfest, the first-ever theater festival dedicated to
neurological conditions

A collection of theater artists from around the country will present
work inspired by various neurological conditions, including:
Amnesia (Korsakov's Syndrome),
Aphasia,
Autism,
Capgras Syndrome,
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD),
Dementia,
Meniere's Disease,
Synesthesia, and
Tourette's Syndrome


CJD
Written and Directed by James Jordan
The Boondogglers
Condition dealt with: Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (a relative of Mad
Cow)
A multimedia one man show written and performed by a neurologist
about his experience with a patient with CJD, augmented with live
music performance.

IMPOSTERS
by Justin Warner
Directed by Ari Laura Keith
Glass House Productions
Condition dealt with: Capgras syndrome
Inspired by the rare neurological condition Capgras' Syndrome,
IMPOSTORS is a quirky, funny, heartfelt exploration of the
contradictions and distortions that hold all families together.
After a brain injury, a son believes his parents have been replaced
with exact duplicates of themselves, triggering a series of events
that threatens to unravel the entire family. IMPOSTORS won the
Kennedy Center-ACTF playwriting contest for the Mid-Atlantic region,
and was also a finalist for the Princess Grace Award. IMPOSTORS
will run simultaneously with NEUROfest at the Union Theatre in
London.

STRANGERS and LINGUISH
Written and directed by Edward Einhorn
Untitled Theater Co. #61
Conditions dealt with: Amnesia (Korsakov's Syndrome) and Aphasia
LINGUISH posits a disease which causes aphasia, the neurological
disorder that takes away one's ability to use language. Four
relative strangers are among the first to be affected, and are
thrown together in quarantine. As the disease affects them, they are
forced to try to find new ways to communicate. In STRANGERS a man
and a woman are in what seems to be a doctor's waiting room. Is it?
If so, what's wrong?

SYNDROME
by Kirk Wood Bromley
Performed and directed by Timothy McCowen Reynolds
Inverse Theater Company
Condition dealt with: Tourette's
Syndrome is a play about a man sitting in his room attempting to
muster the courage to meet his parents for dinner. We quickly
discover that there are reasons for his anxiety, stemming from his
submission to a "spectrum of psychological disorders" that have
taken over his mind. Nothing, however, is really wrong with him.

TABULA RASA
Words by Robert Lawson, Music by Henry Akona
Directed by Henry Akona
Music Direction by Ekaterina Stanislavskaya
High Fidelity Theater
Condition dealt with: Autism
An opera featuring interlinked stories of two children, both lost in
the woods. One, a 19th century tale inspired by stories of the Wild
Boy of Aveyron and other children who grew up in the wild. The
other, the 21st century tale of a young girl lost in the forest of
mood altering medications. Tabula Rasa examines the effects of
nature and nurture, and the fundamental meaning of language and
human relationships.

WELCOME TO TOURETTAVILLE!
by Jonathan Ospa, June Rachelson-Ospa, and Daniel Neiden
Music by Jody Gray, Doug Katsaros and Daniel Neiden
Directed by Daniel Neiden
Condition dealt with: Tourette's Syndrome
A musical inspired by a young boy's dreamworld where 4 aliens, Tick,
Blinky, Screamer, and the guru of all Tourettians, The Big Bleeper,
befriend and inspire him toward self-acceptance. The musical was co-
written by June Rachelson-Ospa and her 7 year old son Jonny Ospa.

NEUROshorts
(NEUROshorts is one entire evening)

THE BOY WHO WANTED TO BE A ROBOT
by Edward Einhorn
Directed by Barry Weil
Evolve Theater Company
Condition dealt with: Autism (Aspergers)
A fairy tale set on another planet, this is a Pinnochio story in
reverse, about a child who grows up in a robot country and just
wants to be a robot like everyone else.

VESTIBULAR
by: Kelly R. Haydon
Directed by: Jolie Tong
Monkey Business Productions
Length: 20 minutes
Condition dealt with: Meniere's disease
As vertigo routinely attacks a former dancer stricken with Meniere's
Disease, an informal conversation with his nurse turns into a
revelation that challenges the idea of dependency as a passive force

THE TASTE OF BLUE
by Alexandra Edwards
Directed by Julia Martin
The Transformative Theater Company
Conditions dealt with: Synesthesia, Eidetic memory
The sound of the saxophone is blue. The letter O is blue. And blue
tastes good. A woman describes her world, in which every sense calls
up another. When the world turns gray, she must turn to her own
imaginary landscape, filled with memories, to find something
delicious.

DOCTORS JANE AND ALEXANDER
by Edward Einhorn
Directed by Ian Hill
GeminiCollisionWorks
Condition dealt with: Dementia
A found text plays about a psychologist now suffering from dementia,
and her father, the discoverer of the Rh factor.

Plus:
For One Night Only!
CINCINATTI
by Don Nigro
Directed by John Clancy
Theater Company: Clancy Productions
Condition dealt with: Brain tumors
A one woman show by Nancy Walsh, a portrait of madness—originally
performed after the removal of a brain tumor from Nancy Walsh,
allowing her to only say things she had already memorized. Done in
conjunction with a seminar.