Gurnee Theatre Company and Northpointe Resources Develop Performing Arts Program for Disabled Adults
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2005
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"Aaayyyyy," says David Gibson with a wide grin, flipping his thumbs up in a classic Arthur Fonzarelli move. It's his first day of theatre class at Northpointe Resources in Zion, an organization dedicated to providing opportunities for personal growth and skill development to adults with disabilities. Workshop instructor Doug McDade, a professional actor and Managing Artistic Director of the Gurnee Theatre Company (GTC), recently welcomed the first group of participants to the inaugural session of the Zion facility's theatre arts workshop.
The alliance helps Northpointe fulfill one of its strategic goals—to provide opportunities for expression and personal fulfillment to adults with disabilities—while helping GTC fulfill its mission to develop the skills and talents of all members of its community. The goal of the new program is to ultimately produce a performance featuring participants from the theatre workshops.
"This is an extraordinary opportunity to give a particular group of people an artistic voice the general public on a whole doesn't know they have," says McDade. In 1991 he attended a theatre performance in Los Angeles, written and performed by physically disabled actors. "I was blessed with witnessing some beautiful voices and phenomenal acting," he says. "It is one of the most memorable performances I have ever seen."
McDade's Northpointe curriculum includes discovery exercises, vocal exercises, movement, and helping the performers learn to work together. The curriculum is similar to GTC's OnStage Academy curriculum for school-aged children, which helps children creatively express themselves and develop confidence for performance as well as for life.
Northpointe Resources' programs strive to empower people with disabilities to achieve their dreams. Programs include community employment, independent living, job training, and individualized occupational and physical therapy.
"It's a huge step to have GTC here," says Northpointe representative Lana Kollinger. "If members of our population are able to participate in a performance, that would be a really wonderful outcome."
Of the Northpointe students, McDade says, "They've got a lot to show me. It's going to be a wonderful education for all of us."
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Caption for GTC_Northpointe_1.jpg: Theatre workshop participants David Gibson
and Tom Sledz work with instructor Doug McDade (center) of The Gurnee Theatre
Company. The new theatre workshop program at Northpointe Resources aims to
give disabled adults, a population served by Northpointe, opportunities for
artistic and creative expression.