A Nervous Smile
A play about two families confronting severe cerebral palsy.
A Nervous Smile is a play by John Belluso, commissioned by the Actors Theatre of Louisville and premiering March 4, 2005, at the 29th annual Humana Festival of New American Plays. Directed by David Esbjornson, the work centers on two families raising children with severe cerebral palsy. Its exploration of parental abandonment and augmented communication has drawn attention within disability and theatre communities.
Quick Facts
- Playwright
- John Belluso
- Premiere date
- March 4, 2005
- Festival
- 29th annual Humana Festival of New American Plays
- Original director
- David Esbjornson
- Original cast
- Sean Haberle as Brian, Maureen Mueller as Eileen, Mhari Sandoval as Nic, Dale Soules as Blanka
- Setting
- Present-day Manhattan apartment
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- The play was produced by the New Theatre at The Roxy Performing Arts Center in Florida, directed by Rickey J. Martinez.
- Theatre Breaking Through Barriers presented the play at the Kirk Theater in New York, NY in 2009, directed by Ike Schambelan.
- Dramatic Repertory Company produced the play at Portland Stage Studio Theater in Maine in 2012, directed by Whitney Smith.
Characters
Brian, a college professor and failed novelist in his late 30s, is married to Eileen and having an affair with Nic. He struggles with his role as father to a child with cerebral palsy. Eileen, in her early 40s, is a multi-millionaire from her father's company; she is snobbish, alcoholic, and uses Vicodine and Oxycontin. She feels parental instinct toward her daughter Emily but no desire to raise her. Nic, a single mother and lawyer, can barely support her son Dominic, who has severe cerebral palsy. She initially agrees to run away with Brian but hesitates. Blanka, the Russian maid in her late 50s, is the only character who treats Emily as a real person and knows her secrets.
Augmented communication
In A Nervous Smile, two forms of augmented communication appear. Dominic uses a basic communication board, while Emily has an advanced wheelchair and sophisticated augmented communication that provides a voice, saves her statements, and predicts her speech. These devices reflect the range of assistive technology available to individuals with severe cerebral palsy who cannot form words due to muscle and vocal cord impairment.
More in Works About Cerebral Palsy and Other Paralytic Syndromes
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