Lauren Kivowitz is a performer, teaching artist, and inclusion advocate and consultant with a background in theatre, improv, and music.

Lauren has worked at the intersection of theatre, disability, advocacy, and education for the last decade. She began her journey as an inclusion advocate in New York, working in theatre classes that were created to give individuals with developmental differences opportunities for creative expression (special shoutouts to two favorite New York-based organizations: Actionplay and CO/LAB Theater Group). Since then, she has worked in inclusive theatre classes for all ages and abilities, creating or participating in programs that span the globe.

Lauren received her Master’s degree in Applied Theatre from CUNY School of Professional Studies, where she designed and implemented a variety of unique community engagement projects for diverse populations. In her final year Lauren completed an action research project that explored the use of role-play and theatrical aesthetic distance on neurodivergent young adults transitioning out of the education system. In the last few years, she has spoken on panels, facilitated workshops, and presented about her work at national conferences. She also performed with Jodi DiPiazza, Cynthia Erivo, and the Actionplay Chorus on HBO’s Night of Too Many Stars: America Unites for Autism Programs in 2017.

When she relocated back to California, Lauren was catalyzed to create more opportunities for this work in her hometown of San Francisco and beyond, and founded Inclusive Arts. In 2020, she was the first ever recipient of the ArtCare Arts Learning Achievement Award for her work with AccessSFUSD: The Arc. Her pedagogy is founded in a celebration of assets; she believes in valuing the uniqueness of each individual and not only destigmatizing, but celebrating difference. Her classes include combinations of improv, role-play, music, storytelling, and play-building, and always incorporate multi-sensory tools and techniques.

Lauren currently sits on the board of the Independent Living Resource Center San Francisco. She is a passionate advocate for increasing accessible and inclusive opportunities for folks of all abilities, and is excited to be a part of expanding this work!

Marielle Duke is a Drama Therapist and Accessibility and Inclusivity Consultant currently living in Philadelphia. As a Therapist, Marielle has worked in private practice, community mental health, school, and milieu settings. Before moving to Philadelphia, Marielle worked with The Neighborly Project, providing crisis and community support through multimodal therapeutic interventions in milieu settings, and with Urban Services YMCA in the schools and in the community. Throughout, Marielle has facilitated groups including: Storytelling for Self-Expression, Teacher and Staff Support, Self Care and Coping Skills, Creative Arts Support Groups for Disabled Therapists, and more. 

After receiving her Masters in Theater Education and K-12 certification from City College of NY, she worked for over a decade within the field of education as a classroom teacher and teaching artist she quickly found a love for supporting other teachers and artists. She developed and implemented curriculum for theater residencies in public and private schools for neurotypical and neurodivergent learners and has spoken nationally on ways to create accessible theater performances/programs. She also taught Inclusivity and the Arts course for graduate students at City College of NY.  

Marielle received her Masters in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Drama Therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies. While at CIIS, she worked as a research assistant and accessibility consultant on disability and inclusion, creating office hours for disabled students, town halls, support groups and  led workshops and training for future therapists.  She also founded the Play Day Program, rooted in creating community through the arts while removing financial barriers. 

As a theater artist, Marielle directed with New Conservatory Theater Center, Boomerang Theatre Company, Flux Theatre Ensemble, Manhattan Theater Source, World Theater Day, and Metropolitan Playhouse. For ten years, she served as the Artistic Director of Adaptive Arts Theater Company, a non-profit theater company  using both an educational and production-based model to make theater more accessible to individuals with Invisible Disabilities.

She continues to work as a Consultant specializing in accessibility and inclusivity for disabled populations. Marielle has collaborated with theater companies, nonprofits, hospitals, and schools on ways to create accessible theatrical and educational experiences for populations with disabilities. She has gotten opportunities to collaborate as a consultant with Music Theater Philly, StageWrite, Kaiser Permanente, and the YMCA.

Sam E. Rubin is a singer and actor on the autism spectrum. He is a trained operatic singer (baritone), NYC-trained actor, voice artist, puppeteer, clown, and award-winning filmmaker. Sam has performed professionally since 2005, most recently singing with Pocket Opera and Lamplighters Music Theater in the San Francisco Bay Area. He played Woof in HAIR in the Mountain Play in Marin County, California, and Mookie (a role created just for him) in Elysium Bandini's film "The Fringe Class," based on Betsy Franco’s original script titled The Art of Love, based on her work with incarcerated teens. Sam gave notes for the autistic character—Oliver (Azhy Roberston)—in Jacob Chase’s 2020 film Come Play (Amblin Partners) and, just before Covid hit, played Representative Tony Coehlo, co-author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, in a staged reading titled ONE DAY: On the Road to ADA, produced by Lights!Camera!Access! He is also the author of two books on the autistic experience.

During the pandemic, Sam participated in zoom reads of TV and theatre scripts and in a worldwide short film titled Keep Your Distance, produced by Australian actor/producer Stephen Walker. Sam is currently active in bringing changes to the way people with disabilities are portrayed in entertainment media, including, most recently, teaming up with Little Blackstone Animation Studio in Toronto, co-creating a television show for children on the autism spectrum (TBA). He consults with Inclusive Arts on co-creating sensory-friendly performances in the Bay Area.

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Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his