Tucson nonprofit seeks to elevate individuals of all abilities through the arts

A metal rack stacked with copper-bottom Revere Ware pans and a table with delicate, intricate pieces from a woman’s dressing room are among the vintage clothing and knickknacks that will help turn Differently Abled Entertainment’s studio-theater into a 1970s-era junk shop for its production of “American Buffalo” by David Mamet. The play opens Thursday, June 13, for a four-day run.

The production is among the nonprofit’s theater-centric programs aimed at elevating individuals of all abilities and backgrounds, and those overlooked or underrepresented, by developing their acting and performance skills.

“American Buffalo” is gritty and pushes the envelope, says DAE founder and executive director Jon-Lee “Jonni” Campbell, the play’s director.

Mamet’s 1975 “American Buffalo” is typical of the playwright’s terse, gripping, profanity-laced style. The metaphor-rich work is set in the 1970s in Chicago’s Don’s Resale Shop, where owner Don Dubrow (portrayed by Chuck Williams), sells a buffalo nickel for $90. He later suspects the coin was worth more. Much more.

Don and the shop’s go-fer, Bob (Ricky Sprau), plot to steal the coin. Bob is on the lookout, watching the buyer’s movements and preparing for the heist. Don’s poker buddy Walter Cole, a hustler called “Teach” (Anthony Auriemma), inserts himself in the caper and convinces Don that Bob is too inexperienced to steal the valuable coin successfully. The trio connive to nab the buyer’s entire coin collection, plus some.

Tension, betrayal, and questions of morals and relationships ensue.

Differently Abled Entertainment’s unique space is nestled in a row of brightly painted shops northwest of Grant Road and Stone Avenue. One reason Campbell says she picked the “American Buffalo” was that it can be effectively staged in the DAE’s space. The studio, at 2405 N. Castro Ave., seats about 40.

During a recent break during rehearsal, the cast and crew discussed how a Pepsi could be presented during the play — they want to represent the play and the time period accurately, without anachronisms.

Director Campbell gives the three actors “notes,” such as asking them to question their characters’ motivations and to reflect that motivation in their performance.

DAE is sticking to the script. During rehearsals, when actors can’t recall a line, stage manager Crystal Wood, who is carefully following the script and the action, reads Mamet’s words.

Campbell hopes to provoke curiosity and hopes audiences are intrigued.

A quest for proper representation

Campbell first saw the stage’s bright lights when she was about 3½ years old, performing at a bluegrass festival in Alaska, says her mother Liz Ragsdale-Campbell, a DAE board member. Campbell was planning a career in acting and performing when she injured her spinal cord in a car crash at age 16 and she became a paraplegic.

She worked behind the scenes in her high school and college, but a professor recognized her daughter’s talent and encouraged her to pursue theater in front of the audience as well as backstage, says Ragsdale-Campbell. Campbell’s professional resume includes modeling and performances in numerous plays, films and commercials.

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A mom of four children, Campbell launched LUNA (Love, Understanding, Nurturing and Awareness) Theatre Company in 2012 in Nebraska and brought it to Tucson. LUNA presented plays such as “POOF!” in honor of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in 2012 and “Steel Magnolias” to benefit the Tucson American Diabetes Association in 2016, says Ragsdale-Campbell.

“Funny as a Crutch,” a collection of nine comedy sketches exploring disability and related assumptions, was among Ragsdale-Campbell’s favorite LUNA productions.

Facing a protracted hospitalization, Campbell split up her family and closed the curtain on LUNA. While hospitalized for 10 months in 2019, she decided she wanted to do more than theater — she wanted to raise awareness. DAE’s programming includes workshops, acting classes and photoshoots. There are also karaoke nights, movie screenings, game nights and full moon celebrations.

One of Campbell’s quests is “proper representation” — getting more people with disabilities in classical settings, film and television.

Campbell explains when a TV or film role calls for someone with disabilities, the role usually goes to an actor without a disability. Campbell says an estimated 26% of adults live with disabilities, however, yet only 1 to 2% of TV and film roles feature actors with disabilities and 95% of those roles are portrayed by non-disabled actors.

DAE’s efforts are not “inspiration porn,” — the term coined by comedian and journalist Stella Young to describe that people with disabilities are often treated as objects of inspiration, which can reduce them to their disabilities — says Campbell.

The aim is better exposure and it is not limited to those with a disability — anyone marginalized is welcome, she says. DAE held its first photoshoot in August 2020, which gave models and photographers with disabilities the opportunity to build their portfolios, which are necessary when seeking professional work.

Acting classes, which will begin later this month, cover essential topics like script analysis and character development and participants will leave with the basics for pursuing acting, such as headshots. Campbell says the classes are not just for someone who wants to preform or be on stage — the classes are also a chance to learn confidence, build self-esteem and become more comfortable speaking.

Differently Abled Entertainment has a core cadre of about 10 volunteers and about 20 others are involved in the organization, says Campbell. Donations primarily fund DAE, and the nonprofit has been supported by City of Tucson disbursements and Long Realty Cares Foundation.

Campbell says she hopes the audience will walk away from “American Buffalo” “surprised.”

“This is a real show, if not a typical theater,” she says.