ABSTRACT
As the Access and Inclusion Coordinator of Imagination Stage in Bethesda, Maryland, Scott Turner imparts his practice of applied theatre with Imagination Stage, which has served the greater Washington DC area for approximately forty years. Since its founding, the organization has placed an emphasis on serving students with disabilities in all aspects of its programming, including ensembles specifically geared towards students with cognitive and/or physical disabilities. One such ensemble, known as the Pegasus Ensemble, engages people between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one. Structured as a two-year conservatory (to train and then mount a production), Pegasus Ensemble actively works to empower the voices of youth with disabilities by challenging participants’ assumptions about their own capabilities. As the teaching artist for Pegasus Ensemble, this essay offers Turner’s reflections on one of the goals of gearing students towards autonomy. Invoking a method that directly confronts special education programs where a high level of support from teachers are the norm, the Pegasus Ensemble creates a culture of personal responsibility in the rehearsal space. Turner passionately promotes participants taking on leadership roles through a system of applied theatre practices. Although any support needed is always available, students come to understand that they cannot simply rely upon the adults in the classroom. The author generously puts forth examples of indispensable practices for successful applied theatre engagement, including utilizing Viewpoints.
