THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR Community is our top priority. Click here to read A.B.L.E.’s covid policies

The core of A.B.L.E.’s programs are ensembles for teens and adults with Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Over the course of a semester, actors meet for weekly 90-minute rehearsals to hone their personal performance skills and develop the social skills necessary to contribute constructively to a group. Our performance ensembles have collaborated to create original plays devised by the cast, Shakespearean classics, one-of-a-kind feature films, and digital stories. Actors can share their imaginations with audiences, and claim ownership over stories which have not traditionally been “for” them.  Watch some of our past projects here.

All sessions are structured to accommodate multiple learning and communication styles by incorporating a range of visual aids, sign language, and sensory tools. Rehearsals are staffed by 2 teaching artists and 3-5 volunteer facilitators for a 2:1 ratio of actors to support. This ensures everyone can enjoy the spotlight!

All spaces for our Fall 2024 ensembles are full. Stay tuned for information about our free Open Studios. Registration for Spring 2025 will open in January.

Ensembles meet for 2 semesters each year. The fall semester runs from late August to November, and registration takes place in July. The spring semester runs from late February through May, and registration takes place in January. To be notified when registration opens, sign up for our newsletter.

We offer two different types of ensembles to engage actors of different ages, interests, and experience levels.

Showcase Ensembles

A play-based course for anyone looking for a fun social and creative opportunity. We’ll learn foundational theatre skills and build relationships. The semester culminates in a 30-45 minute showcase for friends and family.

AGES: 15+

PREREQUISITES: None!

SUGGESTED FEE: $175

Performance Ensembles

Over the course of a semester, actors participate side by side with a staff of teaching artists and volunteer facilitators to create a larger performance piece staged at a professional theatre. Some preparation outside of rehearsal is expected every week.

AGES: 22+

PREREQUISITES: At least two previous A.B.L.E. sessions, one in the past 12 months.

SUGGESTED FEE: $475

Current Ensemble Members, click the button below to log into your ensemble portal:


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What a difference a day makes! Thank you to everyone who contributed towards yesterday's match challenge. Even though we fell short of our $5,000 goal for the day, together, we raised $3,065 in just 24 hours. With our generous match, this helps to br
ATTENTION PLEASE! We only have a few hours left to reach today’s goal of raising $5,000 for our special Matching Challenge, and we need YOUR help to get us over the finish line! Thanks to a generous individual donor, that $5000 will be matche
Want to be cool like Christian? Make a donation to our #giveABLE24 campaign! TODAY ONLY every dollar you give will be matched 1:1 up to $5,000, doubling the impact for A.B.L.E.. So far, we have raised $812 towards our Match Challenge - but we still n
If you haven't contributed to our #giveABLE24 Campaign yet...now is the time! A generous donor has offered a $5,000 Match Challenge. TODAY ONLY - Tuesday December 17th - every dollar you donate will be matched dollar for dollar - up to $5,000! Your
📣 SPECIAL ANOUNCEMENT 📣 For one day only - Tuesday December 17 - every donation you make to A.B.L.E. will be matched dollar for dollar, doubling the impact of your support!  Thanks to a generous individual donor for your $5 donation could beco
We know that support looks different for everyone. In rehearsals, ABLE includes a range of supports from sensory tools to customized visual aids to accommodate the multiple learning and communication styles in our ensembles. For our virtual ensembles
A big #HappyBirthday to our friend and fabulous facilitator, MARY! Mary has been volunteering with our ensembles both online and in person since 2018. When we first met her she would be quick to say she was "not really a theatre person" and