Professional Development

2008 Heartspring Award for Innovation and Creativity in Special Education

Wild Swan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI

The Wild Swan Theater in Ann Arbor, Michigan is a one-of-a-kind nonprofit theater. Co-Directors Hilary Cohen and Sandy Ryder have taken the extraordinary idea of making theater accessible to people with special needs into an amazing reality. Deaf, nonsighted, mentally handicapped, and other children and adults are given the opportunity to learn and enjoy through the medium of theater and drama. Founded in 1980, they now give 180 performances that are enjoyed by 50,000 people each year. Often times, they integrate American Sign Language into their plays, and non-sighted individuals enjoy personal listening devices that provide an auditory description of visual scenes.

In addition to their performances, they provide many educational opportunities. Groups of young people with developmental disabilities come to a weekly Drama Club in order to participate in carefully designed drama activates to help them with social interactions, while they are having fun and feeling successful. The Wild Swan Theater staff also work with middle school students who have Asperger’s Syndrome. The students work on interacting with others and practice their skills with one another by role playing. They even have psychologists and special educators who come to observe Wild Swan’s methods in order to replicate back at their schools.

Individuals who are non-sighted or visually impaired come with mobility specialists from the Ann Arbor School District and work with the Wild Swan staff to develop physical self-awareness, self-confidence and social skills. These children have a “wonderful time and their laughter rings throughout the studio.”

During her time at Heartspring Hilary Cohen shared some of the methods they use. Hillary and Sandy are leading the Wild Swan Theater in exploring drama to improve the lives of children and adults who have special needs.