Neurodiverse Theatre Company ACTIONPLAY Celebrates 10th Anniversary Their new musical OMG It’s Magic School is to be performed at Baruch College’s Rose Nagelberg Theatre on May 13 and 14
Actionplay, a neurodiverse New York-based theatre company, celebrates its 10th producing anniversary by presenting a new musical comedy OMG It’s Magic School, created by the company’s Action Improv Musical Series (AIMS). AIMS features 9 neurodiverse actors aged 14 to 18 who act as actors, writers, and creators. Starting in September, the company creates the story and songs through improv and music. A fully realized production will be staged in May at Baruch College’s Rose Nagelberg Theatre.
Actionplay was founded in 2011, and in 2013 they started holding regular classes/workshops and producing an annual new work. The company is dedicated to providing autistic, neurodivergent, and disabled teens and young adults equal access to the theatre-making process.
The company’s founder and Executive Director, Aaron Feinstein, shared why he started the company,
“I was inspired to create Actionplay because, as a neurodivergent musician and performer, I found that theater was an incredibly safe space for me to explore my interests and identity. I wanted to create a company where autistic, neurodivergent, and disabled individuals could explore their passions and grow in their creativity and artistry.”
Additionally, He said,
“Seeing our actors grow confidently on and off stage has been the most rewarding part for me. We’ve had many performers in our group go on to college to pursue their dreams, not only in performance, but we’ve had several of our students find their unique career paths. Actionplay’s program gives our actors the opportunity to have their special interests embraced, and our musicals are our way of exploring these interests within an ensemble performance. Our shows are hilarious, wild, and irreverent- whatever your expectation of an Actionplay musical, we are certain to defy it!”
In addition to the musical, the company is partnering with the Casting Society of America for its annual audition workshop, which provides on-camera audition coaching and best practices to disabled and neurodivergent actors nationwide. Led by disabled actors Allie B. Gorrie and Kiah Amara, the workshop is designed to help neurodivergent and disabled actors develop their audition skills, as well as develop a comfortable routine when working with casting directors, with casting directors from the Casting Society of America being present at the final showcase to offer feedback. The 2023 Actionplay Audition Workshop is made possible by generous grants from NEXT for Autism, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York State Council on the Arts.
Since its inception, the company has worked with over 200 neurodivergent performers, held numerous audition and self-advocacy workshops, provided mentorships, and created and performed 10 original musicals.
About OMG It’s Magic School
It’s a new school year at Magic School, where young magicians and magical creatures can be themselves – but when Magic School is suddenly in danger of closing, a ragtag bunch of magic students will need to use all their gifts to save their school.
Tickets will be available in mid-April at https://linktr.ee/321actionplay. The musical will run for three performances at Baruch College Rose Nagelberg Theatre (55 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10010), with performances on Saturday, May 13, at 7:30 pm and Sunday, May 14, at 2:30 and 7 pm.
Actionplay is an NYC-based 501(c)(3) programming, outreach, and education organization that provides autistic, neurodivergent, and disabled teens and adults equal access to education, arts, and culture. Actionplay helps develop life skills in a fun, supportive environment where participants thrive. Through its innovative programs, outreach, training, and professional development, Actionplay strives to build a more inclusive world.
