Adrian often escapes into

When he realizes his best friend Beatrice is the victim of domestic abuse he jumps into the greatest and most courageous adventure of his life - whisking Beatrice to Neverland where she'll always be safe. 

Adrian is a boy with

 

All of his friends, including Beatrice, are children with autism who share a classroom. It is through the lens of his fantastic and vivid imagination, the way Adrian lives with his autism, that he is able to face the very real challenges of rescuing Beatrice; challenges that most adults would shirk in the face of. Straight On 'Til Morning recounts Adrian's bravery and courage on this journey to Neverland with his Lost Boys where he fights Captain Hook and rescues Beatrice from abuse. Adrian's autism does not limit him, rather it empowers his character to be a hero.

        

Wild Rumpus believes in telling great stories but also creating access for everyone to these stories. Our goal is to tell a story filled with heart, compassion, and honesty. We want to also open this story to people who may not otherwise go to the theatre. We strive to create a vivid and fully imagined production of this play. We want to have 4 Autism-Friendly Performances of this play that are fully equipped with the necessary supports and staff to create a judgment free environment.

      

With this production we have the expenses that most shows have such as

• Audition, Rehearsal & Performance Space Rental
• Paying Actors & Design Team
• Costumes & Set (Journeying into Neverland isn't cheap)
• Marketing/Outreach (We want to make sure as many people as possible can take advantage of our Autism-Friendly Performances)

In addition to those costs we have a few more with our goal of having 4 Autism-Friendly Performances of the show.

• A BCBA Consultant (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) to oversee all the adjustments

• Fidgets for all of our audience members
• Ear Plugs
• Materials for a  Quiet/Activity Area (The more money we raise the more high quality items we can fill this area with)                                                                           

         

One of the best things anyone can do for us is just Spread the word and share this page. We want as many people as possible to know about this play and the Autism-Friendly Performances we hope to provide to the community. 

                

        

 

Lee Kasper (Director) is a New York City based Theater Director, Actor, and Performance Coach. Most recently, he directed AfterWork Theater Project’s Winter 2014 production of The Laramie Project and their Spring 2013 production of Rent.  Prior to that, Lee assistant directed the Broadway premiere of David West Read’s The Performers (dir. Evan Cabnet), the Broadway revival of Mary Chase’s Harvey (dir. Scott Ellis) and the The Other Josh Cohen (dir. Ted Sperling) at the Paper Mill Playhouse.  Lee also assisted Mr. Cabnet on the world premieres of All-American (Lincoln Center/LCT3) and Outside People (Vineyard Theatre).  Lee has directed close to 20 productions at French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts, one of the top summer theater programs, including the amateur premieres of Avenue Q! School Edition and Greenwood.  In addition to his work both on and off-Broadway, Lee is also the resident Purim Spiel writer and director at Central Synagogue in Midtown Manhattan, producing such titles as A Very Beatles Purim, A Billy Joel Purim, The Amazing Purim,The Maltese Purim, Motown Purim and most recently Michael Jackson Purim.  Lee is a graduate of Playwrights Horizons Theater School, Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

Libby Jensen (Lighting Designer) is the Production Manager at Stella Adler Studio of Acting, and enjoys working in all aspects of technical theater and design. She received her BA in Theater with an emphasis in Lighting and Scenic Design from UCLA in 2006, and has worked as a freelance lighting designer and technician in California, Massachusetts, Louisiana, and New York. Recently Ms. Jensen worked with AfterWork Theater Project, A BroaderWay camp for the performing arts with Idina Menzel and Jeanine Tesori, and as an Assistant Stage Manager for Sleep No More.

Erica N. Simonitis (Dramaturg) is the Resident Dramaturg and Director of New Work Development for Wild Rumpus. She is a graduate of George Mason University with a degree in history and just completed her MA in Medieval Studies at the University of Leeds in the UK. This information may at first seem confusing considering you have found yourself on an artistically driven Wild Rumpus Productions website. Early on in her college career the theater department luckily accepted her as a hybrid creature where she pursued both scenic art and dramaturgy. Her scenic art credits are numerous and best expressed as a percentage: Erica spent 85% of her college career happily covered in paint. As a dramaturg her credits include: The Nerd, Kimberly Akimbo, The Elephant Man, March of the Seagulls, and Sanka, Ya Dead Mon?. She is thrilled to be working with Wild Rumpus and cannot wait to grow her list of dramaturgy credits.

Ryan Howell (Scenic Design) is a Designer, Director, and Actor. Ryan recently designed the New York premiere of Adoration of the Old Woman @ INTAR Theatre and appeared in the Gotham Chamber Opera's co-production of Il Combattimento/I Have No Stories to Tell with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ryan also had his hand in the painting and crafting of the Diamond Horsehoe's Queen of the Night at the Paramount Hotel.  He has also acted as an Associate Scenic Designer for Suttirat LaLarbe on The Killer @ Theatre for A New Audience and Antje Ellerman on The House That Will Not Stand @ Berkeley Repertory Theatre.  Ryan's New York design credits include Spring Awakening (New York Film Academy); Pains of Youth - *NY Premiere (Access Theatre); The Sisters Rosensweig, Uncommon Women and Others (Stella Adler Studio); The Laramie Project (Afterwork Theatre Project); Into the Woods (Stage 22). His regional credits include the World Premiere of Loving vs. Virginia (Williamstown Theatre Festival); Xanadu (The Carnegie, KY); The Magic Flute, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Arcadia, Into the Woods, Giulio Cesare In Egitto, A Little Night Music (University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music); She Loves Me (Penn State University). MFA: University of Cincinnati- College Conservatory of Music. BFA: Penn State University.

Tyler Riley (Asst. Director) is a performer, director, and designer who is a graduate of The Richard Stockton College of NJ with a B.A. in Theatre Management. He has directed 2 full length shows, the first being Midsummer Night's Scream, a world premiere 50's inspired musical adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream at Dante Hall in Atlantic City, as well as Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit in Burlington, NJ. Tyler has also directed Wild Rumpus Production's 2014 February Reading of Ken La Salle's After You Fall. Tyler has also has designing credits for sound design (Ma Noah), set design (Waiting for Godot), and lighting design (Choreoproject 34 & 35). As a performer, Tyler has inhabited several well known roles including, Pippin (Pippin), Benedick (Much Ado About Nothing), Claudio (Much Ado About Nothing), Pozzo (Waiting for Godot), Tartuffe (Tartuffe), and Ajax (Ajax), the latter also traveled on a small tour through Greece.

About The Playwright

By day Philip Dallmann is the Theatre Development Fund's Autism Theatre Initiative Coordinator and by night he is Artistic Director of Wild Rumpus Productions and playwright of Straight On 'Til Morning. He attended George Mason University for theatre, spent time working in an autism classroom, and has brought his passion for making the arts accessible to NYC since founding Wild Rumpus in December 2012.