By Angie Arlington
E E R -F R IE R R A B G IN T A R B E CEL THEATRE IN CARMEL
A WORLD GONE ROCKED! In March of 2022, Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation (CCPR) held its annual Barrier-Free Theatre performance in honor of Developmental Disability Awareness Month. Barrier-free theatre is a form of drama therapy in which participants with and without disabilities work together to write and act in their own production. It empowers participants, increases self-confidence, and improves self-awareness. It also creates a positive, inclusive and creative environment. Sally Bailey, a professor in the School of Music, Theatre and Dance at Kansas State University in
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Manhattan, Kansas, and director of the Barrier-Free Theatre company, a partnership between the City of Manhattan Parks and Recreation program and the Kansas State University Theatre program, founded the program 30 years ago in Washington, D.C. “That’s where I learned it, and Michelle Yadon, our predecessor here at CCPR, learned from Sally as well,” said Sara Fenster, the current director of the CCPR Barrier-Free Theatre. Four seasons have come and gone since Yadon brought the program to CCPR’s Monon Community Center. This year, there were 10 actors. “We’ve had years with a
