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Review: Amy and the Orphans

2018-03-11T12:08:57-05:00Categories: Grown Ups & Downs|Tags: , , , |

Can you handle the truth?

When my son was born, in 1990, the pediatrician gave me a book on parenting. The first line read something like, “Do not put your child in an institution,” yet a social worker hovered in the hallway, checking if I was, in fact, bringing my baby with Down syndrome home.

Today my son, Marcus, is an author, speaker, and advocate. Also, an avid theater buff, so when the Playbill article came onto his feed that Jamie Brewer, an actress with Down syndrome, would be playing the lead role of Amy in a Broadway

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Come So Far And Yet

2019-11-09T07:27:13-06:00Categories: Grown Ups & Downs|Tags: , , , , , , |

 

Just less than thirty years ago, I was handed a book written for parents of a new baby with Down syndrome that began with, “Do not put your baby in an institution.” Literally, this was the first line of the book.

Still, a social worker asked if we were “taking the baby home.”

Sigh.

Today I know women who coach doctors and nurses about how to share information about possible, potential, and available, instead of “put away.”

Be Beautiful, Be Yourself

Last weekend Marcus and I attended

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A Life Uncontained (And baseball memories with Video)

2019-04-28T12:09:21-05:00Categories: Grown Ups & Downs|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

I’m reminiscing today because later this week I plan to join some business colleagues at a White Sox baseball game, it got me thinking about our few, yet powerful, baseball experiences. Like the time Three years ago Marcus threw the opening pitch at our local baseball field. I think he nailed it. It was a fun game with other DSA families. I also got “locked out” of Facebook that day for sharing too many photos, I guess…? I don’t know, actually, but here’s the video Facebook made anyway

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Fangirl’s List of Amy and The Orphan’s Press

2018-03-11T19:54:50-05:00Categories: Grown Ups & Downs|Tags: , , |

Amy and the Orphans, currently running off-Broadway, rocked my world.

But I’m not the only one talking about it, not even close! Check out all this press!

 New York Times Article:

Near the end of 2015, the playwright Lindsey Ferrentino and the actress Jamie Brewer were watching clips of Donald J. Trump, then a candidate, appearing to mock a reporter with a physical disability. They were horrified — which made their work on a new play, centered on a character with Down syndrome, all the more

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Our Recent Trip to Broadway and Teasers

2018-12-02T11:12:28-06:00Categories: Grown Ups & Downs|Tags: , , |

Marcus and I have been to NYC twice in about 6 weeks to see Broadway shows. We saw The Band’s Visit, School of Rock, Frozen, and Amy and the Orphans. Amy and the Orphans we saw twice.

Each one touched my heart. Yes, even School of Rock, which pleasantly surprised me. The Band’s Visit rolled along in a compelling, slow-build. I felt like I spent the first half with my head tilted,

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So Close, Yet So Far Away #LeaveNoOneBehind #WDSD19

2019-03-17T22:42:58-05:00Categories: Grown Ups & Downs|Tags: , , , , , |

I proudly share and emphasize the achievements of people with Down syndrome.

I intentionally spotlight success stories. 

All the while keeping in mind a spotlight, in some ways, emphasizes the presence of only a few on the stage. 

I forever marvel at how much more our world has to gain if we just gave everyone a chance at a solid educational foundation and appropriate health care. 

How much further along would our planet be *right now* if “the few” didn’t cut off these opportunities for the many? 

The next great scientist, artist, peace-maker, leader,

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People’s Choice – Or What We Learned This Year

2018-11-22T13:38:54-06:00Categories: Grown Ups & Downs|

Marcus holding the US flag while in Glasgow during the World Down Syndrome Congress

It’s that time of year! We reflect and try to comprehend how another year has flashed by so quickly. This one was a doozy, with high highs and low lows. Taking a look at which blogs this year were, well, actually read, demonstrated the variety of themes we learned and shared in 2018.

From Iceland

Of course, the most important lesson this year came from Marcus’ actions and his general living wisdom. We were lucky to make an international

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Actors Among Us

2018-04-29T12:07:24-05:00Categories: Grown Ups & Downs|Tags: , , |

Marcus being Orange

The picture above is from a few years ago when during a presentation put on by the actors and teachers of the Ollie Webb Center, the actors were asked to show: “Orange.”

This was in 2014 and is still one of my favorite *Marcus is who he is and take that world* moments. I’m going to tell it to you again today, from Marcus and The Loud Mouths Festival.

THE BEST PART Came the second night. (Yeah, I saw it twice.) One of the prompts to the

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Marcus Speaks His Truth

2019-07-26T19:30:08-05:00Categories: Grown Ups & Downs|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Early in  Amy and the Orphans, is the line, “I speak my truth.” Today we’re going to hear a #Truth Marcus shared with me about the show. 

We celebrate Amy and the Orphans, with Jamie Brewer (Amy) and Eddie Barbanell (Andy u/s) for many reasons. One is that while the audience is lulled by small identifying steps with characters who are “typical,” they are simultaneously being prepped to listen to a person

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