In 2021, I began volunteering at a summer camp for disabled adults. It was there that I met Dale, a creative soul who believed in the power of performance to bring people together. Dale celebrated everyone’s unique expression, not in spite of difference, but because of it. For him, disability was vibrant, joyful, and artistically powerful. His outlook inspired me deeply, especially as I saw how disabled people are often excluded from community-building spaces. Dale embodied a creative way forward, showing that inclusion and leadership in the arts are not just possible, but necessary.

The theatre world has long limited who gets to tell stories and lead creative processes, often leaving disabled artists underrepresented and unheard. After meeting and working with Dale, I knew his vision deserved a stage all its own. That’s why my team and I are launching Dale’s Studio Theater. Conceived at Chapman University's Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics, Dale's Studio Theater is a creative home in Los Angeles and Orange County where artists of all ages and abilities can collaborate, and where disability is uplifted as artistic strength. Through classes in musical theatre, dance, music, devised theatre, and playwriting, students will develop new skills and develop fully public productions. We are building a space where everyone’s voice matters and where difference is celebrated.

Launching an inclusive, accessible theatre company requires intentional investment from the very beginning. Your support will help us cover legal and administrative startup costs, secure accessible venues, provide ADA-compliant equipment, develop inclusive curriculum, and offer scholarships and outreach to disabled artists. This is the first chapter of Dale’s Studio Theater, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. When you give, you invest in leadership, visibility, joy, and equity. You are ensuring that Dale’s celebration of difference lives on. Will you help us begin?