Christine Newberry, 20, is a sophomore at Wagner College in New York City, where she's pursuing a degree in musical studies. She also has Asperger's syndrome. For years she wanted to be an actor but faced many challenges and doubters. “Not everyone was accepting,” she says. “I never got any speaking roles despite how well I did in auditions.”

Recently, however, she was cast as Juliet in a first-of-its-kind production of Romeo and Juliet in New York City. Produced by EPIC Players, a nonprofit theater group founded by Aubrie Therrien in 2016, the play features actors, directors, designers, and technicians who are neurodiverse (meaning their brains operate differently from the general population) or neurotypical (meaning their brains work more typically). Many people in EPIC have a variety of neurologic conditions, including Down syndrome, autism, and ADHD, says Therrien, who is also the company's artistic director.

EPIC Players—the acronym stands for Empower, Perform, Include, Create—is funded by individual donations, supporters, and grants and is one of a growing number of inclusive theaters nationwide. Donations range from hot meals for cast and crew on long rehearsal days to fidget spinners and sensory toys, all with the goal of supporting performing arts opportunities and communities in the arts and eliminating stigma for people with developmental disabilities.

Nicholas Amodio, 23, who played Romeo, has autism spectrum disorder. He too has experienced his share of skeptics. “You have to find the right people to support you and help you follow your dreams,” says Amodio, who graduated from Adelphi University in 2023 with a BFA in theater arts and a minor in animation/video design.

Both actors are grateful to EPIC Players for the chance to perform. “After I joined EPIC and saw how everyone was treated with respect, I started to accept myself,” says Newberry. “People at EPIC don't see my diagnosis but my potential instead, which makes me feel more empowered and included, and my creativity has skyrocketed.” Amodio is equally effusive. “Nothing has made me feel as included and accepted as a neurodiverse individual as EPIC.”

Few opportunities exist for neurodiverse artists in theater, says Therrien. Only 1.9 percent of all speaking characters in movies were depicted with a disability in 2022, according to a report from the University of Southern California's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative released in August 2023. On television, about 78 percent of characters with disabilities were played by able-bodied or neurotypical actors, according to a report from the Ruderman Family Foundation, an advocacy group for people with disabilities.

EPIC reaches people across the country through online classes and programs, and a Los Angeles EPIC branch will open in spring 2024. The troupe has 103 artists and adds about 20 every year at summer auditions, according to Therrien. Participants must be 18 or older and have graduated from high school. EPIC Junior is for students with developmental disabilities ages 12 to 17. Membership is free and includes priority casting in productions, performing arts classes, headshots, résumés, casting assistance, and a positive social community of like-minded individuals. Access-A-Ride, a shared-ride program, provides transportation for those with disabilities or health conditions that prevent them from using public buses and subways for some or all trips.

“EPIC is not a therapy program. We are a theater company,” says Therrien. Players who are not cast in a play can take on responsibilities behind the scenes—such as stage management or crew, she says. The auditions are competitive, and performers and crew are paid. Rehearsals are twice a week in Brooklyn and Saturdays in Manhattan. EPIC puts on at least two professional, neurodiverse productions per year on New York City stages. Past productions include Into the Woods and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Newberry says EPIC has taught her important acting skills like staying in the moment and being more focused. “Because of my Asperger's, I sometimes get distracted, and it gives me lots of anxiety. I do my best not to put so much pressure on myself by taking deep breaths and doing a shakedown, which helps me calm my nerves and refocus. Plus EPIC has helped me understand more social cues, making it easier to figure out who my real friends are.”

Amodio credits EPIC with giving him confidence to audition for other productions and says he values his program mentor, who helps with upcoming projects. “We are all taught a good work ethic,” he adds. “Be on time and be prepared. I've learned that the only limitations I have are the ones I place on myself.” His ambitions have expanded since joining EPIC. He now hopes to do more classical theater such as plays by Chekhov and Shakespeare and to create his own animation series.

One of the most prominent members of EPIC Players is Conor Tague, 24, who joined the troupe virtually in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tague is now starring on Broadway in How to Dance in Ohio, a musical about a group of young adults with autism (all played by actors with the condition) in Columbus, OH, preparing for their first spring formal.

For Newberry, joining EPIC Players has been transformational. “I'm more confident now than ever and have friends who love and support me,” she says.

For more about EPIC Players, visit EpicPlayersNYC.org. For information about other neurodiverse theater groups, visit AmeriDisability.com.