A.B.L.E. – Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations will mark their 10th anniversary as a 501c3 this spring. To celebrate, they are hosting a one-of-a-kind festival of original performances April 30 – May 3rd at The Edge Theater in Edgewater.
Over the course of one weekend, 4 different groups will present a range of events. The festival will include two showcases on Thursday April 30th and Saturday May 2nd. A.B.L.E.’s will also premiere a full-length play written and devised by the group that will run Friday May 1, Saturday May 2, and Sunday May 3. In addition to these live performances, A.B.L.E.’s Virtual Ensemble is creating short-form videos that will play on A.B.L.E.’s social media channels throughout the spring.
“We want to give our actors with disabilities ownership over the creative process,” says A.B.L.E.’s Founder and Executive Artistic Director, Katie Yohe. That starts with A.B.L.E.’s season selection process. A.B.L.E.’s Program Advisory Council – composed of actors with I/DD, family caregivers, volunteer facilitators, and staff – collaborates with Yohe to pitch and select the theme and for each A.B.L.E. season. The theme for A.B.L.E.’s 2025-2026 Season is Memories, and Yohe says it’s a perfect choice to honor this milestone anniversary. “Each ensemble has done something so different with the theme. We’ve got everything from dance to poetry to movement and music. So this is a really special way to get to know our company, and for us to reflect on all the ways we’ve grown over the years.”
Throughout the spring, each of A.B.L.E.’s 4 ensembles have collaborated to develop original pieces for the festival inspired by this central theme of Memory. Each event in the festival will be a different experience, uniquely crafted by the group onstage. The Thursday night showcase explores movement and physicality, while the Saturday matinee will focus on storytelling. A.B.L.E.’s Virtual Ensemble, Zooming in from 8 different states, has used Shakespeare’s Hamlet as inspiration to film monologues and movement pieces inspired by different characters’ memories of dramatic events. A.B.L.E.’s performance ensemble has developed an original play inspired by a time capsule. The neurodiverse cast of 11 will use movement, object work, music, and personal reflections to explore the memories we hold onto and the connections we keep.
In total, 78 performers – including 40 actors with intellectual and developmental disabilities – will appear throughout the festival. Some actors, like Emily Kwidzinski have been with the group since it first started as a program of GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago in 2010. This will mark her 30th production with the ensemble. But, five actors are appearing in their very first performance with A.B.L.E., including Dorsey Schroeck. “I love to perform, but there have always been barriers for me,” says Schroeck who uses a wheelchair and is part of A.B.L.E.’s virtual ensemble. “Now I don’t need to worry if I can get onstage because I’m at home and I have everything I need.”
A.B.L.E. is committed to ensuring everyone feels they belong in the theatre. In addition to supporting disabled actors onstage and backstage, all performances include numerous accessibility accommodations for audience members of all ages and abilities. Audience members will receive a social story and sensory guide before the show to help audience members know what to expect from their trip to the theatre. Yohe says, “We hope we can set an example for our community of what true inclusion looks like both onstage and off.”
Performances:
- Thursday April 30th at 7pm – Movement Ensemble Showcase (ASL interpreted)
- Friday, May 1st at 7:00 pm – The Time Capsule
- Saturday, May 2nd at 2:00pm – Devising Ensemble Showcase (ASL interpreted)
- Saturday May 2nd at 7pm – The Time Capsule (ASL interpreted)
- Sunday, May 3rd at 2:30pm (audio described performance)
Accessibility at all performances:
- All performances are open captioned
- All performances are relaxed – you can leave the theatre at any time if you need a break and sensory support tools will be available
- Wheelchair Access
- Masks are required for all attendees out of consideration for our immunocompromised community members
Cast & Crew
- Teaching Artists: Braden Cleary, Ruby Gibson, Maddy Grady, Kiaran Hartnett, Kaylie Honkala, Lawrence Kern, and Katie Yohe
- Actors: Colleen Altman, Colin Baar, Marissa Bloodgood, Christian Boyd, Sophianna Bressette, Rachel Buchanan, Jack Butler, Benjamin Collins, Sophie Earvolino, Gabe Felshman, Samuel Floersheimer, Ryan Foley, Sean Grynberg, Peter Grzeslo, Erin Harvey, Natalia Janik, Jonathan Jennings, Fletcher Jones, Xavier Juniel, Andrew Kosnik, Emily Kwidzinski, Matthew LaChapelle, Emily Lavin, Maggie Leal, Lily Lundin, Anna Luzadder, Maggie Marren, Matthew Marren, Carlos Mejia, Jr, Lucas Miezal, John Miksis, Claire O’Leary, Kira Perdue, Sam Radinsky, Dorsey Schroeck, Tommy Shimoda, Kevin Smith, Kimmy Smith, Jake Solworth, Zachary Wandel
- Facilitators: Nette Angelini, Amy Bahr, Andrea Bazzoli, Lewis Beaver, Lauren Berquist, Alexandria Bressette, Claire Buckley, Julia Clavadetscher, Margo DePorter, Shannon Diegel, Mike Falevits, Sarah Haley, Paige Henderson, Ashlyn Horein, Chelsea Hosler, Avery Lareau, Kate McDuffie, Kaitlynn Milvert, Steve O’Connell, Erik Prather, Carly Sells, Julianne Shea, Margaret Sheils, Susan Sjodin, Lindsay Stock, Kate Vargulich, Julia Waits, Connor Wiles, and Polly Yukevich
- Company Manager: Haley Schroeck
- Lighting Designer: Lea Davis
- Director of ASL: Peter Wujcik
- ASL Interpreters: Sabrina Cienfuegos and Mark Motyka
- Audio Description: Jason Harrington
- Key Art Photographer: Justin Barbin
A.B.L.E.’s 2025-2026 Season is partially supported by The Andrew E. Barrer Trust on behalf of the Chicago Lighthouse, The Chicago Community Trust, The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Forvis Mazars, FS Foundation, FunFund, The Illinois Arts Council, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Rusin Law, The Saints and generous individuals like you!
