IMPRESSIVE IMPROVISOR
"Yes, and ..." This improv rule of thumb has been helping change perceptions of disability for more than two decades, thanks to Jeanne Calvit, 65, founder, creative director, and executive director of Interact Center for Visual and Performing Arts in Minneapolis. Because of Jeanne's vocal insistence that artists with disabilities can-and do-create high-quality, professional work, Interact has received critical acclaim nationally and locally. Interact has also won two Ivey Awards for originality and best original music theater score, groundbreaking accomplishments for artists whose work historically never reaches the public eye. Jeanne draws her inspiration from Interact's diverse, multi-generational ensemble, and artists blossom and shine under her direction. Her uncompromising vision of "radical inclusion" dissolves ideas of who can and who cannot, and unites a wide spectrum of talented artists with and without disabilities from both marginalized and mainstream communities.
|