Break A Leg! Disability in the Arts
Break a Leg! is a podcast that explores the relationship between disability and the arts. Join playwright and advocate Nicole Zimmerer and her guests as they cover topics in theatre, film, TV, studio arts, music, and more. We’ll be spilling the “Disabili-Tea” on current and past events in disability history and investigate the future of accessibility in the arts. This podcast is perfect for fans of the arts looking to learn more about disability representation and arts accessibility in a fun and casual setting. Produced by Scott MacDonald | Artwork by Sasha & Alexander Schwartz
Episodes
12 episodes
A Disability Rights Primer with Betty Siegel
Wow wow wow we’re back! And with one of our best episodes yet! Nicole is joined by superstar Betty Siegel who lays out the essential information when it comes to disability rights in the Unites States arts sector. Betty also expla...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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1:00:40
Creating Accessible Spaces with Marisa Rinchiuso
Nicole is joined by fellow Carnegie Mellon alum Marisa Rinchiuso (and her dog Remy) to dish all the (not so hot) Emmy Awards goss, dig into the intersections of disability and womanhood, and discuss the connection between inhumane working condi...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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1:05:26
Jumping Jack Theater with Stephen Santa & Claire Carbone
Nicole is joined by Stephen Santa and (surprise!) Claire Carbone for a deep-dive on Jumping Jack Theater, a Pittsburgh-based theatre company specializing in sensory-enriched theatre for young autistic audiences. They discuss the company’s produ...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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1:04:17
Trailer: Break A Leg! on the TECHnically Speaking Podcast
Make sure to check out our interview on the USITT TECHnically Speaking podcast! Nicole and Scott joined Jenn Shuron from the United States Institute for Theatre Technology to discuss how they met, the creation of Break A Leg!, and...
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Season 1
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Episode 0
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1:39
Playwriting with Adrienne Dawes
Nicole’s friend and fellow playwright Adrienne Dawes joined us for this episode to talk about writing from different perspectives and in different genres. What have these playwrights been working on? Why do we need popcorn plays? Is Austin stil...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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1:12:55
Producing Theatre That Scares You with Michael Patrick Thornton
Michael Patrick Thornton is the co-founder and artistic director of Chicago's The Gift Theatre. He joined Nicole to talk about producing, his career on stage and television, casting, representation, the “cripple card,” traveling abroad in a whe...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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53:16
Theatre Workplace Accommodations with Alondra Santos-Castillo
Alondra Santos-Castillo is a theatrical stage manager, scenic designer, and artist. Nicole and Alondra discuss what it's like to have arthrogryposis in the workplace, some important US legislation, Alondra's recent entrepreneurial venture, Nico...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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50:48
The Voice Inside with Gena Sims
Gena Sims is a performer, the founder of the Autism Theater Project, and a fellow Carnegie Mellon alum. She's producing "The Voice Inside," a new web series about how real teens, especially teens with disabilities, face challenges in thei...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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50:49
Rhetoric and Representation with Sydney Mayer
Nicole is joined by her friend Sydney Mayer to discuss disability representation in media (what really is "representation"?). They dive deep on disability and rhetoric, the words "Handicap" and "Accessibility," Inspo-Porn, character...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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44:25
Disability on the Stage and on the Page with Alethea Bakogeorge
Alethea Bakogeorge joins Nicole to discuss life with cerebral palsy, disability in the audition room, what it means to write and play nuanced disabled characters, and more! Alethea Bakogeorge is a physically disabled actor, arts a...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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1:08:08
Integrated Dance with Meredith Aleigha Wells
Meredith Aleigha Wells is a queer and disabled actor, singer, dancer, and writer based in Chicago. They joined Nicole for our very first episode to discuss integrated dance, life with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), and more!&...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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52:28