'Singin' in the Rain Jr.' opens tonight at Kroc Center

Participating in CDA ACT productions the past 10 years has made Charmaine Brown feel a little like Elsa from "Frozen."

"I am very secretive about who knows my disability," Brown said Wednesday night. "Accepting my disability has always been such a challenging time for me."

Formerly known as Out of the Shadows Theater, Brown said CDA ACT lives up to why it was created in the first place.

"When it was Out of the Shadows, it was about people who are disabled no longer being in the shadows but being in the spotlight," she said. 

Its acronym is its tagline — "Celebrating Different Abilities through Art and Community Theater."

"That helps me accept me for who I am," Brown said.

"It's kind of like Elsa from 'Frozen,' because Elsa struggles to accept her powers and struggles to accept who she is because of her powers, but toward the end of the movie we see her accept her powers for how real she is, how beautifully unique she is," Brown said. "So in a way, I'm kind of like Elsa."

The nonprofit theater organization that gives all of its stars a place to shine will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a production of "Singin' in the Rain Jr.," opening at 7:30 tonight at the Midge and Pepper Smock Family Theatre at the Kroc Center.

"Singin' in the Rain Jr." is the nonprofit theater organization's ninth show in 10 years. The show was adapted from "the greatest movie musical of all" time by Broadway legends Betty Comden and Adolph Green, from their original award-winning screenplay. The story tells of a Hollywood love affair, complete with comedy, memorable songs and lightning-fast dialogue.

“This is the most challenging choreography ever for CDA ACT and the most involved with dialogue and an incredible amount of demands for diction, memorization and songs," CDA ACT Vice President Liz Wilson said. "It’s really, really, really funny. If the audience is paying attention, they’re going to laugh during every scene. It’s true comedy at its finest. It does the movie justice."

CDA ACT, Inc. offers adults with disabilities the tools and support to flourish in the performing arts. "Shadow actors" work as personal coaches alongside cast members, ensuring actors have whatever support they need to thrive in the spotlight.

Director Jamie Sciarrio watched CDA ACT's debut production and by the second show was a shadow actor.

“It's fantastic, to be quite honest," she said. "The best part is this year we have two actors who have wanted bigger roles and wanted to do more. They’ve had that desire, so they put in the work with diction and speaking more clearly. I gave them bigger speaking parts this time and they’re stepping up to it and it's great."

A teacher by trade, Sciarrio has extensive experience working with individuals with special needs. She sees firsthand how actors grow through their participation in CDA ACT.

"It’s hearing how doing theater once a year has helped them in the rest of their lives, they go out and get jobs, do things with more confidence," she said. "The other thing that has been really amazing to watch is the transformation, as well as watching some of the actors who’ve been doing this for a while really start speaking for themselves and advocating for themselves."

This is Wilson's second year with CDA ACT. She was also a shadow actor for a few years before she realized that she had found her people; she wanted to be a part of CDA ACT and everything it stands for, giving actors opportunities to be in the light, to be seen and celebrated for their abilities rather than their challenges.

"It is a huge accomplishment for everyone that’s been involved along the way," Wilson said. "I have such reverence and respect and admiration for everyone that's kept it going. The beauty of it is pretty indescribable. I hope it keeps on going for another 10, 20, 30 years."

Other "Singin' in the Rain Jr." showtimes will be 7:30 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $20 each or $15 per person for groups of 10 or more. American Sign Language interpreters will be at the opening show.

Info: cdaact.com

    Makeup artist Narine Kadekian does actress Charmaine Brown's makeup Wednesday night before dress rehearsal for CDA ACT's production of "Singin' in the Rain Jr.," which opens tonight.

    Mary Basta puts finishing touches on CDA ACT actress Abbey Waterdown's costume before dress rehearsal Wednesday night at the Kroc Center. "Singin' in the Rain Jr." opens tonight, marking the nonprofit theater organization's 10th year of celebrating the talents of performers with disabilities.
  

    Director Jamie Sciarrio, left, and CDA ACT actor Steven Kiersborn go over material during rehearsal in October. The nonprofit theater organization is celebrating 10 years as it presents "Singin' in the Rain Jr.," opening tonight at the Kroc Center.