It is my pleasure to announce that Identity Theater Company, "Where Individuality Comes to PLAY" Present its 4th annual children's show... " The True Colors of Weedle" The performance dates are from March 22, 29, April 5, 12 at 2 pm. (4 Saturdays) The venue is located at Joria Stages at 260 w36th St., 3rd Fl. (between 7th and 8th). Venue is wheelchair accessible. The True Colors of Weedle is a fun musical about a boy, born without any color. As such, he is bullied because everyone else around him has lots of colors. Ostracized, Weedle sets out to find a three-headed companion and together they hatch a plan for revenge on those who hurt them. After taking revenge, Weedle feels so bad that he cries. And to everyone's amazement, his tears are full of vibrant colors, proving that he had it within himself all the time... Bullying has become an epidemic, causing many children pain. Our story confronts this issue in a fun-filled way, without shying away from the issue at hand. Perhaps, this show is needed now more than ever! In addition to the show, we offer workshops on acting, playwrighting, and individual storytelling .  The first ten minutes of the show will involve your students painting on the casts' shirts and scenery! Your students will become immersed into the world of the play, as they add color to the town. Our shows utilize actors of all genders, abilities, and special needs. As always, we hope to have disabled actors in our show, as well as I the director. I believe, as a teacher, that this show will benefit your participants on many levels. We do not just put on a show, but aim to give everyone a theatrical experience. By utilizing actors with special needs, we aim to entertain and teach an important life lesson to kids that anything is possible with the right outlook. With all of these benefits, this show will teach and entertain. We have so much to offer will be unforgettable on many different levels! For more information about our shows you can reach me directly at 917-373-9739 (email: Identitytheater@aol.com) website: www.identitytheater.com

 

About Identity Theater Company. by Nicholas Linnehan, Founder and Executive Director. It seems in order to pretend to be someone else, you have to first become them as if they were yourself. I never understood this paradox; I have to be real to pretend?!Along my journey as an actor, director and playwright, I have been fortunate to work with some amazingly talented actors with disabilities. However, many of them had skills and talents that had been immediately dismissed or overlooked because they themselves were categorized as "disabled."As was I. With the help of some great mentors, I started landing roles. Yet, something was missing. I was still meeting directors who were closed-minded about working with disabled actors. I mean, why can't Blanche Dubois be blind or in a wheelchair? I think it would be fascinating to see this new interpretation done. I'll never forget seeing Buried Child by Nicu’s Spoon Theater, who cast a deaf actor to play Tilden and he spoke on stage. Although hard to understand at times, this actor broke down barriers and delivered one of the best theatrical performances that I have ever seen. It was riveting, inspiring, and unforgettable. Many people say I'm too liberal, but I hope that I am just pushing boundaries and opening doors. If art does truly imitate life, shouldn't we let our art embody acceptance, respect, and tolerance? I knew something had to be done. In March of 2011, I founded Identity Theater Company: a group of differently abled artists devoted to exploring and challenging issues of the human condition. We strive to present work that cultivates understanding, promotes tolerance, and engages its participants in meaningful discussions.We need to open up our minds and hearts to artists with vast amounts of talent that goes unseen due to pre-formed prejudices against actors and theater members who have a "disability."I hope Identity Theater Company will become a beacon of hope for these talented individuals who want to be a part of the theater community, but are finding it difficult due to a false, pre-conceived notion that they are somehow not capable of performing because they are disabled.So I ask you this,“Why cant we all play together?”