Televison & Radio
For an interview with A.B.L.E.’s Founder and Executive Artistic Director Katie Yohe about our history and production of The Odyssey, start at 30:35.
FOX32 Chicago
A.B.L.E. on Chicago Now
WCIU The Jam
Print & Online Articles
Emily McClanathan, American Theatre Magazine, May 2025
Kimzyn Campball, Chicago Reader, April 2025
Bridgette M. Redman, Chicago Reader, June 2023
Bridgette M. Redman, Chicago Reader, March 2022
Sheri Flanders, Chicago Sun-Times, June 2021
Judy Carmack Bross, Classic Chicago Magazine, June 2021
Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader, May 2019
Tim Duggan City Desk, June 2016
Vikki Ortiz Healy, Chicago Tribune, May 2016
Chicago Community Trust, December 2015
Justin Breen, DNAinfo Chicago, July 2015
This group not only challenges expectations of what people with Down Syndrome can or cannot do, it also breaks the audience’s limits regarding how we perceive Shakespeare’s 400-year old works. It calls into question who owns Shakespeare, who has the right to perform Shakespeare, and what makes Shakespeare appealing. I would suggest that the A.B.L.E. ensemble actors own Shakespeare on a personal level that I, having studied Shakespeare for over 30 years, cannot match.
Timothy Duggan for City Desk Chicago
A.B.L.E.’s mission is to…provide programming that encourages creative growth and self-actualization. Another equally important goal is joy, which is evident while watching the two movies.
Andrea Gronvall for the Chicago Reader
I was truly impressed by what the ensemble had accomplished in just eight weeks. Several of the most moving scenes were choreographed sequences devised by the ensemble….The impact of these scenes was a testament to the success of A.B.L.E.’s collaborative method.
Emily McClanathan for American Theatre Magazine
The fast-paced show, rowdy music (crowd surfing, anyone?), and joyous cast telling a story about embracing life on their own terms really prove A.B.L.E.’s point that you should never underestimate your cast and crew. The work they do truly breaks down barriers as it entertains.
Kimzyn Campbell for The Chicago Reader
In so many ways A.B.L.E. is like every other theater company — passionate people putting on a show, and at the same time, A.B.L.E. is achieving what so many theater companies cannot — true inclusivity and representation of the very stories we all attempt to tell on the stage.
Paige Henderson, Facilitator since 2023
I have been in other spaces where people with disabilities don’t get listened to or don’t belong. It can be hard. I hope our audience sees that theatre can be so different. They might not have seen a show with people with disabilities before. But everyone can make theatre and it can look different ways.
Matt LaChapelle, Ensemble Member since 2018
Accolades for A.B.L.E.’s Films
