[Music] my name is annie clark and this is Katie
my name is annie clark and this is Katie
my name is annie clark and this is Katie man and together we co-founded fourth
man and together we co-founded fourth
man and together we co-founded fourth wall theater company we started off as a
wall theater company we started off as a
wall theater company we started off as a couple of theater nerds and now our
couple of theater nerds and now our
couple of theater nerds and now our focus is on bringing the arts to
focus is on bringing the arts to
focus is on bringing the arts to everyone because we believe that the
everyone because we believe that the
everyone because we believe that the arts are inspirational educational but
arts are inspirational educational but
arts are inspirational educational but most importantly their therapeutic we
most importantly their therapeutic we
most importantly their therapeutic we are passionate about the Arts we believe
are passionate about the Arts we believe
are passionate about the Arts we believe it can help anyone anywhere anytime any
it can help anyone anywhere anytime any
it can help anyone anywhere anytime any age and today we’re going to talk about
age and today we’re going to talk about
age and today we’re going to talk about the Arts and people with disabilities so
the Arts and people with disabilities so
the Arts and people with disabilities so let’s say you’re someone who struggles
let’s say you’re someone who struggles
let’s say you’re someone who struggles with communication being on stage and
with communication being on stage and
with communication being on stage and playing a character can not only boost
playing a character can not only boost
playing a character can not only boost your confidence it actually helps you
your confidence it actually helps you
your confidence it actually helps you with your verbal skills you may not feel
with your verbal skills you may not feel
with your verbal skills you may not feel comfortable saying something as yourself
comfortable saying something as yourself
comfortable saying something as yourself but as Elsa from frozen you can stand up
but as Elsa from frozen you can stand up
but as Elsa from frozen you can stand up in front of everyone and belt out let it
in front of everyone and belt out let it
in front of everyone and belt out let it go let it go and if you’re someone who
go let it go and if you’re someone who
go let it go and if you’re someone who may be social skills aren’t your thing
may be social skills aren’t your thing
may be social skills aren’t your thing out in public you don’t know how close
out in public you don’t know how close
out in public you don’t know how close or how far to stand next to someone the
or how far to stand next to someone the
or how far to stand next to someone the theater is great because it tells you
theater is great because it tells you
theater is great because it tells you how far you should stand away how to
how far you should stand away how to
how far you should stand away how to look someone in the eye memorize your
look someone in the eye memorize your
look someone in the eye memorize your lines that you’ve rehearsed and say them
lines that you’ve rehearsed and say them
lines that you’ve rehearsed and say them over and over it really improves social
over and over it really improves social
over and over it really improves social skills so when we first got our start
skills so when we first got our start
skills so when we first got our start about four years ago fourth wall seemed
about four years ago fourth wall seemed
about four years ago fourth wall seemed like a total pipe dream but as we got
like a total pipe dream but as we got
like a total pipe dream but as we got going it quickly became a reality
going it quickly became a reality
going it quickly became a reality because we began to realize how few
because we began to realize how few
because we began to realize how few extracurricular activities actually
extracurricular activities actually
extracurricular activities actually exist for people with special needs that
exist for people with special needs that
exist for people with special needs that was four years ago and since then we
was four years ago and since then we
was four years ago and since then we have serviced 5,000 students with
have serviced 5,000 students with
have serviced 5,000 students with special needs all across Michigan
thank you we teach singing acting and
thank you we teach singing acting and dancing and the stories and benefits of
dancing and the stories and benefits of
dancing and the stories and benefits of personal growth it’s astounding it
personal growth it’s astounding it
personal growth it’s astounding it really is it’s amazing we had a young
really is it’s amazing we had a young
really is it’s amazing we had a young man who came into one of our classes and
man who came into one of our classes and
man who came into one of our classes and he wouldn’t speak a word he didn’t even
he wouldn’t speak a word he didn’t even
he wouldn’t speak a word he didn’t even make eye contact with us and then one
make eye contact with us and then one
make eye contact with us and then one day in class we decided to have a talent
day in class we decided to have a talent
day in class we decided to have a talent show and at this talent show each
show and at this talent show each
show and at this talent show each student could stand up on stage and they
student could stand up on stage and they
student could stand up on stage and they could say or do anything this young man
could say or do anything this young man
could say or do anything this young man got on stage and not only did he speak
got on stage and not only did he speak
got on stage and not only did he speak he recited an entire scene from a movie
he recited an entire scene from a movie
he recited an entire scene from a movie word for word and after that we couldn’t
word for word and after that we couldn’t
word for word and after that we couldn’t even get him to stop talking I love
even get him to stop talking I love
even get him to stop talking I love stories like that but my favorite has
stories like that but my favorite has
stories like that but my favorite has got to be our very first performance
got to be our very first performance
got to be our very first performance when Annie and I had quit our jobs and
when Annie and I had quit our jobs and
when Annie and I had quit our jobs and was like as those what we should do with
was like as those what we should do with
was like as those what we should do with our lives it was with the down syndrome
our lives it was with the down syndrome
our lives it was with the down syndrome guilt and there was one young lady who
guilt and there was one young lady who
guilt and there was one young lady who during her performance was so excited
during her performance was so excited
during her performance was so excited and so exuberant after her final vows
and so exuberant after her final vows
and so exuberant after her final vows she ran up to me and said miss Kay de
she ran up to me and said miss Kay de
she ran up to me and said miss Kay de mesquita mesquita miss Katie was Katie
mesquita mesquita miss Katie was Katie
mesquita mesquita miss Katie was Katie everyone stared at me but it was because
everyone stared at me but it was because
everyone stared at me but it was because I was good not because I was different
I was good not because I was different
I was good not because I was different Yeah right right oh my gosh
and that right there is the beautiful
and that right there is the beautiful thing about the theater is that it has
thing about the theater is that it has
thing about the theater is that it has this positive impact on everyone it
this positive impact on everyone it
this positive impact on everyone it touches and it’s not just our students
touches and it’s not just our students
touches and it’s not just our students that stand up and perform on this stage
that stand up and perform on this stage
that stand up and perform on this stage it’s the audience it’s their families
it’s the audience it’s their families
it’s the audience it’s their families their parents their entire community
their parents their entire community
their parents their entire community benefits from what they learn we like to
benefits from what they learn we like to
benefits from what they learn we like to call it the happy ripple effect the
call it the happy ripple effect the
call it the happy ripple effect the parents and community members they leave
parents and community members they leave
parents and community members they leave feeling inspired seeing their children
feeling inspired seeing their children
feeling inspired seeing their children and a light they may not have seen
and a light they may not have seen
and a light they may not have seen before well the students they leave this
before well the students they leave this
before well the students they leave this tall because they’re so proud and
tall because they’re so proud and
tall because they’re so proud and they’re so important because they are
they’re so important because they are
they’re so important because they are important so that brings me to our most
important so that brings me to our most
important so that brings me to our most frequently asked question why the name
frequently asked question why the name
frequently asked question why the name what does fourth wall mean so this is
what does fourth wall mean so this is
what does fourth wall mean so this is where it comes from the actual stage has
where it comes from the actual stage has
where it comes from the actual stage has three physical walls but then there’s
three physical walls but then there’s
three physical walls but then there’s this invisible wall and it’s the wall
this invisible wall and it’s the wall
this invisible wall and it’s the wall that separates the people onstage from
that separates the people onstage from
that separates the people onstage from the people in the audience and in the
the people in the audience and in the
the people in the audience and in the theater we call that the fourth wall now
theater we call that the fourth wall now
theater we call that the fourth wall now there’s another theater term called
there’s another theater term called
there’s another theater term called breaking the fourth wall and you’re
breaking the fourth wall and you’re
breaking the fourth wall and you’re helping me do that right now because
helping me do that right now because
helping me do that right now because you’re listening to me while I talk
you’re listening to me while I talk
you’re listening to me while I talk instead of me ignoring your presence so
instead of me ignoring your presence so
instead of me ignoring your presence so we decided when we started fourth wall
we decided when we started fourth wall
we decided when we started fourth wall to kind of be a little unconventional
to kind of be a little unconventional
to kind of be a little unconventional and break the fourth wall in Reverse
and break the fourth wall in Reverse
and break the fourth wall in Reverse meaning that we invite literally
meaning that we invite literally
meaning that we invite literally everyone up on to stage two shine
everyone up on to stage two shine
everyone up on to stage two shine especially those who don’t normally get
especially those who don’t normally get
especially those who don’t normally get that kind of opportunity and as you will
that kind of opportunity and as you will
that kind of opportunity and as you will very soon see people who have just as
very soon see people who have just as
very soon see people who have just as much talent please join me in welcoming
much talent please join me in welcoming
much talent please join me in welcoming a performance and American Sign Language
a performance and American Sign Language
a performance and American Sign Language by our troupe from the Down Syndrome
by our troupe from the Down Syndrome
by our troupe from the Down Syndrome guild
guild
guild [Applause]
you
you [Music]
[Music]
[Music] you
why are there so many songs about
why are there so many songs about rainbows and what’s on the
rainbows and what’s on the
rainbows and what’s on the the song
boys are fish but only illusion and rain
boys are fish but only illusion and rain boys have nothing too hard
what so amazing that keeps our star
what so amazing that keeps our star gazing and what do we think we might see
someday we’ll find it the Rainbow
someday we’ll find it the Rainbow Connection the lovers the dreamers and
Connection the lovers the dreamers and
Connection the lovers the dreamers and me
me
me [Music]
[Music]
[Music] have you been half asleep and have you
have you been half asleep and have you
have you been half asleep and have you heard voices I’ve heard them calling my
heard voices I’ve heard them calling my
heard voices I’ve heard them calling my name
is this the sweets on the card the young
is this the sweets on the card the young sailors the boys might be one
someday we’ll find it The Rainbow
someday we’ll find it The Rainbow Connection love
the dream of
the dream of than me
than me
than me [Music]
”
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