Neurodiversity and Performance

Abstract

Neurodiversity takes many forms. Theater performance’s relation to these differences has had a long history that spans from freak show representation to institutional asylum pantomimes and eventually to self-advocated groups. Its use has evolved from solely therapeutic application to grant-funded groups of actors often led by nondisabled artistic directors. Neurodiversity in performance can be discussed in terms of representational formats, ideologies, and practices. Autism, above all other neurodivergences, has found its way onto Broadway stages. Various theater companies specialize in neurodiversity both in their content and in their casting. Disability is contingent and forever changing; education and performance need to embrace this shifting difference to make room for neurodivergence in circumstances in which body-minds do not fit neatly into normative boxes.