A B O U T T H E E E S P
A BRIEF HISTORY
The East End Special Players have been creating theater since 1985. Started as a Saturday program for adults with varied needs and abilities by the Towns of East Hampton and Southampton, their first director, Helen Rudman, chose theater as the emphasis of the program. The Players have performed at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, at Guild Hall in East Hampton, LTV, Dowling College, Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, Southampton College, in Albany at the Governor’s Mansion, at Camp Venture in Westchester, and at the Alliance Francaise in New York City. In recent years, their performances in local high schools have garnered standing ovations as students experience valuable awareness of the Players. The EESP are available for school performances and have appeared at Southampton High School, East Hampton High School and The Ross School. The plays are taped and aired on LTV, Cable Channel 20 and are highlighted on You Tube.
THE PLAYERS
There are over 30 actors who comprise the troupe. Some speak, others do not. Some can memorize their lines, others are prompted. Some are natural actors, others have to be coaxed on stage but what they can do, what they have accomplished is astounding. Twenty years ago the Players performed only in mime; today they are not only acting with words and music, they create the plays themselves. Their first original play, "You Are A Petunia In My Garden", was a series of vignettes in exploration of their lives: what they do and feel and wish for as adults with varied needs, abilities and skills.
ARTISTIC VISION
Director, Jacqui Leader challenges the troupe to reach to the uppermost levels of their abilities and beyond. She teaches them to enunciate, memorize and improvise searching inside themselves for emotion and inspiration. It takes more than a year to develop the plays, but with each subsequent production the actors have stretched their abilities with unique theatrical challenges. Below is a list of productions:
The East End Special Players have been creating theater since 1985. Started as a Saturday program for adults with varied needs and abilities by the Towns of East Hampton and Southampton, their first director, Helen Rudman, chose theater as the emphasis of the program. The Players have performed at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, at Guild Hall in East Hampton, LTV, Dowling College, Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, Southampton College, in Albany at the Governor’s Mansion, at Camp Venture in Westchester, and at the Alliance Francaise in New York City. In recent years, their performances in local high schools have garnered standing ovations as students experience valuable awareness of the Players. The EESP are available for school performances and have appeared at Southampton High School, East Hampton High School and The Ross School. The plays are taped and aired on LTV, Cable Channel 20 and are highlighted on You Tube.
THE PLAYERS
There are over 30 actors who comprise the troupe. Some speak, others do not. Some can memorize their lines, others are prompted. Some are natural actors, others have to be coaxed on stage but what they can do, what they have accomplished is astounding. Twenty years ago the Players performed only in mime; today they are not only acting with words and music, they create the plays themselves. Their first original play, "You Are A Petunia In My Garden", was a series of vignettes in exploration of their lives: what they do and feel and wish for as adults with varied needs, abilities and skills.
ARTISTIC VISION
Director, Jacqui Leader challenges the troupe to reach to the uppermost levels of their abilities and beyond. She teaches them to enunciate, memorize and improvise searching inside themselves for emotion and inspiration. It takes more than a year to develop the plays, but with each subsequent production the actors have stretched their abilities with unique theatrical challenges. Below is a list of productions:
Original Comedy - "Whimsey World"
Original Comedy - "Trouble in Jamaica"
Original Play - "Gigi"
Tableaux vivant - “The Fish Juggler”
African folktales and dance - “Kokrobite Junction”
Ancient Irish myth - “The Legend of Deirdre”
Original play - "You are a Petunia in My Garden"
Romance - “Cyrano de Bergerac”
Commedia de l’Arte - Moliere’s “Scams of Scapin”
Original Comedy - "Trouble in Jamaica"
Original Play - "Gigi"
Tableaux vivant - “The Fish Juggler”
African folktales and dance - “Kokrobite Junction”
Ancient Irish myth - “The Legend of Deirdre”
Original play - "You are a Petunia in My Garden"
Romance - “Cyrano de Bergerac”
Commedia de l’Arte - Moliere’s “Scams of Scapin”
The plays are fully realized theater presentations and in many productions artists, dancers and musicians from the community join the Players on stage.
OUR MISSION
To enhance the lives of adults with varied needs and abilities through theater arts; to create in each Player a strong self-image with pride in himself or herself; to develop skills and talents which have heretofore not been tapped.
The goal of the East End Special Players is to reach out to other similarly engaged groups as well as audiences of all kinds and bring more visibility and understanding to the talents in our society.
OUR MISSION
To enhance the lives of adults with varied needs and abilities through theater arts; to create in each Player a strong self-image with pride in himself or herself; to develop skills and talents which have heretofore not been tapped.
The goal of the East End Special Players is to reach out to other similarly engaged groups as well as audiences of all kinds and bring more visibility and understanding to the talents in our society.