A.B.L.E.—Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations is celebrating the 10th anniversary of our first-ever feature film with a special one-night-only event.

The Curse of the Tempest Jewel reinvigorates a traditional film noir setting - 1940s Chicago - with a cast of 17 actors with Down syndrome. A wealthy client commissions two local detectives to track down the legendary Tempest Jewel, lost at sea centuries earlier. With nothing but a cryptic riddle for guidance, the gumshoes interview various denizens of the city. Each treasure hunter gets distracted by daydreams of fortune, and must ultimately make the difficult choice between fortune or friendship. Audiences can catch this one-of-a-kind movie on the big screen for the first time in 10 years Monday January 27th at 6pm at FACETS (1517 W. Fullerton Ave.). The anniversary event includes a pre-screening reception with catering from Homeslice, and a post-screening talkback with members of the cast and crew about the making of this landmark film.

A.B.L.E. got its start in 2010 as the Teen Drama Troupe at GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago. As the volunteer-led program grew, a core group of teaching artists established A.B.L.E. to further expand creative opportunities for the community with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Curse of the Tempest Jewel was the first independent project for the organization. Writer and Director Lawrence Kern used his experience devising shows with the drama troupe to craft a story based on the ensemble cast’s strengths and personalities. The daydreams in the script are based on some real-life wishes of the cast ranging from talking to animals to performing on Broadway, to vacationing in Michigan.

Alena Counter Brown as nightclub singer Sassy Beyonce daydreams about going platinum.

To make the process more inclusive, Kern and the crew scheduled shorter days on location and also lots of off-camera support from a team of Teaching Artists. Kern also aimed to give the actors more connection to the process. Actors took on off-camera roles learning about green screens and microphones, helping design costumes, and craft props in the art department. The ensemble worked in small groups with Art Therapist Sara Miller to construct the film’s largest prop – a life-sized replica of SUE the T-Rex's head, which is pivotal in the final scene.

““Traditional film sets can feel very overwhelming. We tried to make a process where everyone felt supported. It doesn’t matter if you can read, or memorize your script. There’s still a place for you.” ”

— Tempest Jewel Writer & Director, Lawrence Kern

At its heart, The Curse of the Tempest Jewel is about the power of community, and this philosophy was evident behind the scenes as a number of individuals and groups rallied to support the project. Funding for the film came entirely through donations to a crowdfunding campaign. The cast received access to notable local venues including The Field Museum, The Newberry Library, and the Historic Maxwell St. Police Station for filming. Several organizations also offered in-kind donations of equipment, costumes and props, and the engineers at Periscope Post & Audio donated their talents for post-production audio services. With a 100% locally based cast and crew, The Curse of the Tempest Jewel was truly for Chicago and by Chicago.

Since its original debut in December 2014, The Curse of the Tempest Jewel was an official selection for the Chicago Onscreen Film Festival, and received an Award of Merit for Disability Issues from the Accolade Global Film Competition. And A.B.L.E. has continued to grow - the group now works with over 200 participants each year, and has produced a range of theatre and film projects on some of the biggest stages in the city, including Chicago Shakespeare Theater. All but 15 of the 17 cast members are still active in the ensemble 10 years later, and some have even joined A.B.L.E.’s staff as Creative Associates - co-leading outreach workshops and disability inclusion trainings.

A.B.L.E. Executive Artistic Director Katie Yohe says revisiting the film at this time is important to celebrate not only how A.B.L.E. has grown, but to further disability representation in the arts.

“We’re seeing more mainstream opportunities for disabled actors, but it’s still rare to see one character with a disability, let alone seventeen! When we made Tempest Jewel, our goal was to make a movie that wasn’t “about” disability. We wanted to tell a fun story with characters who had relationships, hopes, dreams, and some adventure. If you can recognize some of yourself in one of these characters, then maybe we can work to change some preconceptions about what it means to have a disability.””

— Katie Yohe, A.B.L.E. Founder & Executive Artistic Director

Event Details:

Monday, January 27, 2025

Facets Cinema - 1517 West Fullerton Avenue Chicago, IL, 60614

6:00pm = Doors open for catered pre-show reception
7:00pm = Screening of The Curse of the Tempest Jewel (run-time 47 mins)
7:55pm = Talkback with members of the cast and crew
8:30pm = event end time

Accessibility AT THIS EVENT:

The Curse of the Tempest Jewel is open captioned.
Facets Cinema offers wheelchair seating
To show care for the most vulnerable members of our community, masks are required in the theatre for all attendees when not eating or drinking
Learn more about what to expect in the event social story