We Need To Talk About "How to Dance in Ohio" [CC]

[@disabled.autistic.lesbian]

Update: the show is unfortunately closing February 11th so go see it while you can!

[@imanirussellactor]

This video just popped up on my KZbin homepage and of course curiosity (no pun intended) got the best of me and I watched. I have lots of thoughts (neutral statement) but I just want to say--- thank you for talking about this show with care in your critique. As an OBC member, HTDIO was certainly not above critique but it was met with very harmful reviews, so it's nice to see a video like this. Much appreciated, Sydney

[@SugarVivStudios]

I hope someone has a “slime tutorial” of it so I can actually watch it

[@alyssapisani]

"If you need me in the next few months I will be happily crying somewhere in the Belasco" This show might actually be the tipping point for me to finally make the trip to NYC that I've always wanted to take. I love musical theatre so much, but even seeing touring productions at my local theatre can be difficult as a physically disabled autistic person who has chronic pain and mobility issues. This show is just the first stepping stone, but after finding out about it and listening to the four currently available songs, I sobbed. I feel so seen and feel like some day, there might be a spot for me in theatre.

[@BroadwayBound009]

FYI it will be closing feb 11th in case you wanted to go.

[@jayess83]

Thank you for also mentioning Kimberly Akimbo. I left that show feeling so many things and they were NOT positive, but everyone I spoke to LOVED it and I was deeply confused and concerned. Loved How To Dance…I hope this opens the door for so much more representation in theatre

[@aspiringautorin5343]

Regarding openly autistic actors in roles that are not specifically autistic or autistic-coded, HTDIO is doing that a little bit with the understudies. The evening I saw the show, Marina Jensen was playing Mel. From what I saw on Instagram stories, they had also played Ashley Amigo during that afternoon’s matinee. For the shows where Marina Jensen plays Ashley, there are 7 autistic characters and 8 openly autistic actors

[@secondisthebestfragrances]

Thanks for your review!! I have a friend in the cast, and she echoes a lot of what you’ve said. That as “ground breaking” as this is for Broadway, her hope is that people one day look back on it say “well it was of its time” because of how far inclusion on Broadway has come.

[@allenlj5165]

My mother isn't neurodivergent and used the word Panick-y to describe symptoms of a disease she had, it would be the word she'd use around myself my family and her doctors. I've also heard that word before in my life as well long before I knew I had Aspergers.

[@michaela3910]

As an actor with a disability myself, thank you for this video. This meant so much to me and you spoke SOOOOO much truth. Subscribed

[@rubinhardin4183]

Omg I'd love to see you interview the actors from the show if you ever do end up doing that.

[@strabbie9548]

your comment about the review at 45:00 resonates so much with how I feel about the "faking it" online movement at large... like, "these people aren't autistic they are just like me except i would never allow myself to look like that in public" sir if you relate so heavily then maybe think about that a bit more. you're almost there!! jokes aside this review made me listen to the show and i did end up crying, thank you very much, 10/10.

[@austensg9596]

Omg thank you for your insight on this! Some of the narrative choices that didn’t make sense to me originally now make more sense! I saw the show with my mom the day before it closed. I originally didn’t want to go with her because I was worried I as an autistic person was gonna have some serious issues with it and she (not autistic at all) would really like it. I ended up loving it. I cried in the theater too, during intermission. Our experiences in the audience were a little different, I think. Perhaps it’s because this was the third-to-last show and everyone was rushing to see it, but I saw lots of fellow autistic ppl in the audience. Everyone clapped at appropriate times (“it sucks making sub-minimum wage because you’re disabled,” “my life has already started,” etc.). I saw some happy stimming, mostly from the person sitting next to me. One person was a little overwhelmed and sat down on the steps before the show started, and everyone around them seemed chill. Idk, when there are more autistic people in a space it probably becomes more autism-friendly. Or maybe I’m just a little unobservant 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@lilybloome]

I went to see it last night thanks to your enthusiasm and I had an AMAZING time! I can't lie, I was obsessed with guillotines as a 12 year old so that was the absolute best thing ever for me. There was tension and relatable struggles (the scene with Mel and their manager was painfully relatable) but my biggest takeaway was how much fun I had. A lot of the show I finally felt like I had humor that was coded for me which was a huge thing that I think a lot of reviewers didn't focus on. My biggest accessibility issue (other than only being able to afford balcony seats lmfao) was that they never actually communicated what the sensory bags entailed? My friend and I even went to see what was in them afterwards and I just found out while watching today that the headphones had the show audio in them, which they were dissapointed to learn because they'd brought their own regular boring headphones. One of the ushers even overheard us talking about the bags and asked us what was in them because they hadn't told her, so that means she couldn't have answered questions about them which would be frustrating. I guess I should have watched this before going instead of saving it for after, who knew.

[@disabled.autistic.lesbian]

The headphones in the sensory bags are just normal headphones. The sound adjustable headphones ?live somewhere else? I think they're with the captioning/AD devices, I never found them but I also didn't try super hard so that's on me! The sensory bags are a cool concept and I love that they exist, but I also don't know any autistics who wouldn't already travel with ear defenders and stim toys which is pretty much all they are lol

[@buffienguyen]

have i ever heard about this play? no will i watch any Sydney upload because i always learn something new? yes!

[@RapidEyeMovement_28]

Hello there! I'm doing an EPQ (extended project qualification, school project I do alongside my A-levels) on autistic representation in theatre. I only found out about 'How to Dance in Ohio' like, last week? And since I can't watch it or read the script like I did with 'Curious Incident' I've been trying to find out as much information about it as I possibly can. You have no idea how helpful this video has been for giving me a good in-depth idea of not only what the show is about but also what another autistic person thinks of it, so I want to say thank you, and I hope you don't mind if I use this video as a source for some of the points in my essay. As well as writing an essay, I've also written a play featuring autistic characters, and I'm proud to say that by both my standards and yours I seem to have done a pretty good job! I know my play is not going to be anywhere near as popular as 'Ohio' because that was a Broadway musical and mine is a play written by a teenager to be performed by an independent youth theatre company, but I really hope it's another step in the right direction and it can give to someone else the representation I wish I'd had when I was younger. Theatre seems to suffer from a shortage of positive disability representation, and although my contribution may be small, there's still a chance it will have a good impact. I know this doesn't have much to do with the video but I thought it might interest you. I'm really excited about it, and honestly if there's anyone's approval I'd love to have it would be yours. Love the video, keep up the good work and take care of yourself at the same time! :)

[@Anime_theatre_lover]

26:02. I totally agree with this part. I have also played Christopher in curious incident before. I am also female and autistic. I played the role during my freshman year of high school. Definitely the HARDEST past role I’ve done in my entire life (Helena will probably take that spot once I perform midsummer night’s dream)

[@arshiamazumder9724]

i just watched it today and OH MY GOD I LOVED IT AGHHHHHHH

[@rubinhardin4183]

I do want to say that there have been all neurodivergent and all disabled casts in plays and theater shows but it's yet to happen on Broadway. For example I live in minnesota and I saw an incredible play this fall that was performed entirely by a disabled acting troupe through a local org specifically for disabled artists. And I've been in performances where everyone was disabled. Honestly alot more disabilty centered work is happening on the fringes of the performance world and when orgs/grant resources specifically fund programs for disabled artists. And unfortunately, Broadway hasn't caught up. There's alot to be done for the theater world regarding shows with disabled actors but I do think it's really dismissive of small theaters, arts orgs and grass roots projects that are specifically for disabled artists that are doing a lot more then Broadway has ever done.

[@rebeccarockefeller9770]

So I just stumbled upon this video and found it very interesting. I’m 23 and only recently found out that I’m autistic (no official diagnosis yet, but I’m hoping to get tested at some point this year). I wish I could see this show, but I live in Nebraska so it’s not possible. However, I listened to the cast recording a couple days after it came out and I cried like a baby. Even though some of the pointed lines I wasn’t happy hearing, I completely understood the sentiment because of being so brand new into what it means to be autistic and realizing that those things are normal to me. Like I don’t want to be seen different but forcing myself into that box is so tiring to do all the time. But listening to the album finally clicked in my mind that “autism” or “being autistic” is not this nasty thing I grew up believing it was. And that I’ve experienced similar things to some of the characters, which I never thought I would have. For me, especially as someone very new to anything related to autism, this show has opened up my mind to what could be in terms of future representation for autistic individuals. I also really hope they take the time and effort to record the show before or just after it closes so that it can become accessible to people who can’t afford to get to New York to see the show before it closes.

[@cathytetreault4770]

I can’t wait I’m special needs and we are going to see the show on Friday

[@sophiamaemusic7059]

Thank you for this review! As an allistic person I’d watched the documentary and haven’t seen anything of the show (besides it’s thanksgiving parade performance) and your review has really helped me parse through my thoughts on the documentary and make me excited to engage with the show!

[@kazh8639]

Glad I’m not the only one who avoids watching autistic rep with others due to internalised ableism etc. Looking forward to both of us working through that :))

[@fad23]

You mentioned the Deaf West production of Spring Awakening, but I'm not exactly sure how that show was perceived outside of my own personal reaction. Could you elaborate a bit on what you meant there?

[@disabled.autistic.lesbian]

Yes! There was a general assumption in the industry after the fact that, since they had one show with Deaf people, the disability problem was therefore more or less "fixed". Despite disability being a MUCH wider category than just deafness, there being access issues left unsolved in that production just given the nature of how the theater is structured, and also the fact that we haven't really had major d/Deaf rep on Broadway since. So using that as a blueprint for how the industry reacted to and changed because of really the only other disability-centric Broadway show in recent history, I was [and am] concerned we will get the same impact with Ohio [i.e. "oh it's solved now, good work everyone, let's never talk about this again"]

[@Lemonade467]

The reason behind the musical closing it’s cuz it’s a flop 😢😢😢 I’m not sure why but it’s sad

[@CDAActivism]

🧡🧡🧡

[@meganross-e5m]

i am also autistic if you know of anymore special needs productions please let me know im 32 years old

[@strange.fields]

Im autistic and got a free ticket to it and I had to leave before the first intermission. It’s like the writers scrolled tiktok for lil Gen Z spectacles and decided to write a play. It was beyond offensive to the actual struggling community. It made autism look Neurotypical and quirky. It really triggered me and made me have a meltdown I wasn’t able to eat or leave my bed for 3 days.