"Jellyfish" by Unlabeled Theatre Company at Gremlin Theatre

For the past several years, Unlabeled Theatre Company has been bringing us productions of musicals with a unique model they call "shadow partner." Each character is played by an actor with a disability or who is neurodivergent, AND a neurotypical actor. The two actors speak and sing in unison, which provides disabled people the opportunity to perform in musicals that they might not otherwise be able to, with the support of a partner. The result is something really sweet and special, and the most inclusive and welcoming kind of theater I've seen. But for the first time, they're breaking with that model and bringing us a US premiere new play that tells the story of a young woman with Down syndrome, performed by an actor with Down syndrome. It's the first time they're specifically telling a story about disabled people, and who better to do it? As director Jessica Froehlich notes in the program, "artists in the Disability Community have the right to tell their own stories." It's unfortunately a rare thing in theater, although we did get Full Circle Theater's beautiful production of Martyna Majok's Pulitzer Prize winning play Cost of Living last year, featuring two disabled characters. But Unlabeled's Jellyfish is a rare look at a story about Down syndrome that, like my favorite TV show as a teenager, Life Goes On, treats them like the regular humans that they are, experiencing the full range of emotion. Jellyfish continues at Gremlin Theatre through November 8 only.

"The Addams Family" by Unlabeled Theatre Company at Park Square Theatre

I saw my second production by Unlabeled Theatre Company this weekend, and it was once again so heart-warming, inspiring, and fun. Unlabeled has a unique performance model, in which they pair an actor with a disability or who is neurodivergent with a neurotypical actor - a "shadow partner." Because everyone deserves to be part of theater, whether that's on stage, backstage, or in the audience. And theater is the better for it. In this difficult time in our country when inclusion, accessibility, and diversity seem to be dirty words, it's reassuring to know that our theater companies are continuing to not just say these words, but live them. The Addams Family is a musical that's all about familial love and loyalty, if a bit odd and macabre, and is another great choice for this company. The one-weekend-only run concludes tomorrow (click here for tickets), with their next scheduled production the super fun Something Rotten! next January.