A New Name, An Expanded Mission
We are very excited to announce some big goings-on! After over 35 years of developing performances via Susan Marshall & Company, our mission is expanding to include creating performing arts experiences that prioritize access for the underserved neurodiverse community. We aim to contribute to the field’s growing interest in better serving this community by collaborating with neurodiverse individuals to design complex, contemporary art experiences that strive to be welcoming for neurodiverse and neurotypical audiences.
This shift came from both inspiration and frustration. As the parent of a man with apraxia, a neuromotor disorder that makes it difficult to control one’s body and that is often present in autism, I have been frustrated by the difficulty of sharing my own and others’ stage performances with my son. People with autism/apraxia may make involuntary sounds and movements that can make it difficult to conform to theater viewing norms and expectations. In recent years, however, our family has enjoyed several contemporary art events together that allowed the audience to move and make sound as they please. These experiences are inspiring me to create my own work with access for the neurodiverse and others with disabilities in mind from the get-go.
With this clarified focus comes a new name for our expanded organization—Studio Susan Marshall—and a restructuring of our work into three main activities:
Performance-Installations—Immersive contemporary art experiences created with artistic and community collaborators, welcoming to both neurotypical and neurodiverse audiences, and aspiring to be accessible to all.
Susan Marshall & Company—The multi-"Bessie" Award-winning contemporary dance company creating and performing stage work and licensing its repertory to dance companies and university dance programs.
Dancing with Autism—Free dance classes supporting those on the autism spectrum to experience self-expression, agency, freedom, fun and community.
I am energized from the clarity and commitment that these shifts are bringing, and I very much look forward to moving forward with intention into these adventures. Thanks for being with us on this journey!