Strange Faces began as my senior thesis for the Music and Theater Departments at Princeton University. I strove to portray Asperger’s syndrome in an honest, non-clinical fashion. Inspired by the investigative theater techniques of The Civilians, I began my writing process with extensive research, particularly interviews with children with Asperger’s and their families. These primary sources form the heart and soul of Strange Faces.
The premiere production at Princeton in April 2011 was everything I could have wanted and more. All five performances sold out, and several audience members walked out of the theatre in tears every night. Everyone, whether or not they had a personal tie to Asperger’s, connected deeply and emotionally to the characters and their experiences. Strange Faces accomplished just what I hoped it would: it presented Asperger’s not as the great obstacle one must overcome, but as just one facet of life, affecting people who struggle with the same universal issues of family, love, relationships, and commitment as everyone else.
People from all walks of life have strongly encouraged me to pursue a professional future for Strange Faces, and they frequently ask what they can do to help. This invaluable support from the general public is vital to Strange Faces‘s success in the highly competitive and slow-moving theatre industry. I created this website with the intention of harnessing that existing energy into a grassroots campaign to launch Strange Faces professionally.
Strange Faces has already made a tangible impression on so many people’s lives, and I can only begin to imagine its future potential. I hope you will contribute to its mission.
- Andrea Grody
An aspiring music director and composer, Andrea Grody graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 2011 with a degree in Music and a certificate in Theater. She is currently an MA Candidate in Musical Theatre (Musical Directing) at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. For more information, please visit www.andreagrody.com.
