Play explores child's Tourette's syndrome diagnosis.Byline: FRED CRAFTS The Register-Guard CORRECTION (ran 9/26/02): "Welcome to Tourettaville," which was supposed to open Saturday at Actors Cabaret cabaret Restaurant that serves liquor and offers light musical entertainment. The cabaret probably originated in France in the 1880s as a small club that presented amateur acts and satiric skits lampooning bourgeois conventions. of Eugene, has been postponed until Oct. 5. The new run dates will be listed in Friday's Ticket section. The moment Joe Zingo talked with playwrights June and Jonathan Osma about their play "Welcome to Tourettaville," he knew he wanted to direct it for Actors Cabaret of Eugene, of which he is co-artistic director. The only hitch was, there was no play. "Welcome to Tourettaville" was basically just an outline to use at school assemblies to inform students about Tourette's syndrome Tou·rette's syndrome or Tou·rette syndrome n. A severe neurological disorder characterized by multiple facial and other body tics, usually beginning in childhood or adolescence and often accompanied by grunts and compulsive utterances, as of , a neurological disorder Noun 1. neurological disorder - a disorder of the nervous system nervous disorder, neurological disease disorder, upset - a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning; "the doctor prescribed some medicine for the disorder"; characterized by involuntary muscular movements and obscene vocal expressions. It was clear to Zingo that if he wanted to do a stage production, he would have to craft it himself. Which is precisely what he has done, in collaboration with co-artistic director Jim Roberts Jim Roberts can refer to
"We saw what they wanted, and what they couldn't do with it, so that's what we're doing. We're developing the piece for them," Zingo explains, emphasizing that it is a work in progress. "The play, when we get through with it, will be a theatrical presentation of what it was like for its authors to discover that Tourette's syndrome was the affliction of one of their children." That would be Jonathan, whom Zingo has made the focus of the production. "This boy wasn't diagnosed until about 8 years old or so. None of the family knew what was going on. The kid would act out and have all these tantrums, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the mother. It got to the point where June was pulling her hair out," Zingo says. "They thought the kid was insane. They thought demons Demons See also devil; evil; ghosts; hell; spirits and spiritualism. ademonist one who denies the existence of the devil or demons. bogyism, bogeyism recognition of the existence of demons and goblins. were in the child or something, because he would just out of the blue start screaming and yelling yell v. yelled, yell·ing, yells v.intr. To cry out loudly, as in pain, fright, surprise, or enthusiasm. v.tr. To utter or express with a loud cry. See Synonyms at shout. n. and swearing and throwing things, and he was doing terribly in school. ``Then they found out the son had Tourette's syndrome, which made everything so much more clear. After the son was diagnosed, they began their long trip into how to adjust to it." At one point, Zingo says, the mother asked her son what it felt like when he was going through through a seizure. Characters came to him, he said, and Zingo has used some of them in his production. Miles Schneider plays Jonathan in the ACE production. Others are Helene Morse (Sister), Mindy Nirenstein (Mother), Kevin Waltz (Father) and Nancy Anderson (Ms. Pencil). All except Schneider play multiple roles. "Welcome to Tourettaville," which will be staged using minimal sets and costumes, is about 40-minutes long and includes six songs. "Music is used to illustrate or to exemplify ex·em·pli·fy tr.v. ex·em·pli·fied, ex·em·pli·fy·ing, ex·em·pli·fies 1. a. To illustrate by example: exemplify an argument. b. or to clarify what it is they're talking about. But it would be wrong to bill it as a musical version of Tourette's syndrome. That would be a misnomer misnomer n. the wrong name. MISNOMER. The act of using a wrong name. 2. Misnomers, may be considered with regard to contracts, to devises and bequests, and to suits or actions. 3.-1. ," Zingo says. Among the tunes is "Bleep," which Zingo describes as "a song that illustrates the mind of a child. Every time he wants to swear, he uses the word `bleep.' It's a funny, funny song, but you get to understand that sometimes that's all they can think about." The show's anthem is "You and Me Are Just Alike (We Just Have Differences)." Explains Zingo, "According to June, their intent was not to clarify what Tourette's syndrome is like but rather to say that just because you have Tourette's syndrome, you're not different from anybody else who may have a speech impediment speech impediment n → defecto del habla speech impediment n → défaut m d'élocution speech impediment speech n or may have dyslexia dyslexia (dĭslĕk`sēə), in psychology, a developmental disability in reading or spelling, generally becoming evident in early schooling. To a dyslexic, letters and words may appear reversed, e.g. or may have some sort of difference than separates them from others. ``That's the message of the piece. That's what struck me as really interesting when I heard her talking about it." By the time the show closes in Eugene, Zingo expects to have a script that can be performed up and down the East Coast. "My goal is to make it into a theatrical play for them so that it can go back to New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of ," Zingo says. "I would, of course, love it if our production were the one to go to New York to do it. We'll see." WELCOME TO TOURETTAVILLE WHAT: The premiere of a play, with music, about what it was like for the authors to discover that one of their children had Tourette's syndrome; directed by Joe Zingo. WHEN: 2 p.m. Sept. 28-29 and Oct. 5-6, 12-13, 19-20 and 26-27. WHERE: Actors Cabaret of Eugene, 996 Willamette St. HOW MUCH: $6 for adults, $4 for children 12 and under, at the theater box office (683-4368). |
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