The Staged Stigma of Disability

This past Sunday was one of my favorite days of the entire year, the Oscars! The one night of the year when actors, directors, producers, and everyone involved in the film making process come together and celebrate their achievements of the last year. Some of the awards went as expected (I went 4/4 in predicting the acting categories, and 20/24 overall, but who's counting), while others were quite a surprise (no spoilers if you have not watched yet, but I guessed Best Director and Best Picture incorrectly.) However the highlights of the night for me were not who was winning what or who was wearing what outfit by x designer, it was the Academy's embrace of representation for those with disabilities! Yes, you heard that right, in an industry where only recently real representation has been on a topic on everyone's mind, and during an evening where actors with disabilities were overlooked entirely in the nominations, there were two distinct moments of representatio...

This man is Zack Gottsagen, star of the film " The Peanut Butter Falcon ",  and if you don't know his face yet, you will soon. Peanut Butter Falcon tells the story of Zak, a young man with Down Syndrome who has a dream of a future that is far bigger than the run down institution that the authorities have placed him. Zak breaks out of the home he has been placed in with the intention of attending a wrestling school hosted by his favorite wrestler. On his journey Zak meets a fisherman named Tyler (played by Shia LaBeouf), and after a VERY rough beginning, the two men develop a strong bond. Acting is all Zack has ever known, getting his start at the age of 3. He has also made a bit of history as well - Zack was the first child with Down Syndrome to be included, fully, in the Palm Beach County school district. He graduated from college as a theatre major in 2004. In 2011, he got his big break - while performing at disability camp, Zack met with Tyler Nilson, the direc...

Welcome back to The Staged Stigma of Disability! Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to read my first entry, it was written with a lot of love and energy. To put myself out there and be open about my experiences being a physically limited actor was not easy for sure and I had a lot of different feelings in me as I hit post, mainly feeling exposed and vulnerable, but I am SO thrilled and excited that it received such as warm reaction. I have a lot of things planned for this blog, including something special I will be unveiling very soon! Thank you for the support, it means a lot. Now, onto today's post! Recently I came across the  ReelAbilities Film Festival . This is a festival that happens yearly in cities across America including Los Angeles (which was held over this past weekend), New York, Houston, Boston, Chicago, and others, that is completely dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people ...