Zombie Thoughts and Ballet for Aliens

“This is a vibrant addition to the TYA canon. Working from the youth authors’ personal experiences, each play interweaves imaginative participatory pedagogy, humor, and contemporary references to effectively explore physical and mental health complexity in young people.” —Kathryn Dawson, co-author of Drama-Based Pedagogy: Activating Learning Across the Curriculum “These plays impeccably navigate the headspace and heart of young audiences and performers with truthful, boundless energy. Twelve-year-old me, who still lives inside me somewhere, laughed out loud and breathed a sigh of relief saying, ‘finally, a play that gets it right.’” —Georgia Mallory Guy, producing artistic director, ThinkTank Theatre “Zombie Thoughts and Ballet for Aliens centers dynamic collaborations across age, platform, and disability. The result is elegantly simple, impactful storytelling. Let them ‘yap’ indeed!” —Talleri A. McRae, author of NDT Learns: The National Disability Theatre Handbook Praise for Zombie Thoughts: “[The production’s] adorable levity sands off what could easily have been a patronizing play. Instead, Zombie Thoughts isn’t afraid to use words like neurotypical or generalized anxiety disorder while also making jokes about how silly it is that playing with a stuffed hedgehog to distract yourself actually works. Adults do the same things. We all have our fears, and some of us struggle more than others. Zombie Thoughts earns the right to speak to children because its playful, earnest energy just radiates.” —Parker Scott Mortensen, Slug Mag Praise for Ballet for Aliens: “Ballet for Aliens . . . reflects a nimble melding of the authentic voices representing the ripening skills of two youthful writers and an accomplished playwright and scholar of the theater who ensures the structural integrity of the play honors the creative intentions of her colleagues.” —Les Roka, The Utah Review Praise for Zombie Thoughts: ""[The production's] adorable levity sands off what could easily have been a patronizing play. Instead, Zombie Thoughts isn’t afraid to use words like neurotypical or generalized anxiety disorder while also making jokes about how silly it is that playing with a stuffed hedgehog to distract yourself actually works. Adults do the same things. We all have our fears, and some of us struggle more than others. Zombie Thoughts earns the right to speak to children because its playful, earnest energy just radiates."" —Parker Scott Mortensen, Slug Mag Praise for Ballets for Aliens: ""Ballet for Aliens... reflects a nimble melding of the authentic voices representing the ripening skills of two youthful writers and an accomplished playwright and scholar of the theater who ensures the structural integrity of the play honors the creative intentions of her colleagues."" —Les Roka, The Utah Review