Stroke Awareness and small interviews with students

On April 7th I gave a private presentation/interview about “A Stroke Of Endurance” to a small group of college students online. One student came on the video call a tad early and said that the film was a great inspiration to her and immediately asked how I went about getting permission to film “A Stroke Of Endurance” in certain locations (called location scouting by professionals) and if it was difficult or nerve racking to do so. I responded that the locations shown in “A Stroke Of Endurance” were some of the easiest to work with. Once the rest of the students arrived many of them asked about the true events that roughly inspired “A Stroke Of Endurance” and one asked how I researched and observed strokes and whether I had gotten input from real Stroke Survivors themselves which the answer to is yes I did. We talked about mental health, ableism and the “Super Crip” stereotype. I was asked the meaning of “Crip”. I was asked about IEPs and how the public school system, and college education system are different. Many students asked why Ava had such emotional reactions in the film. We discussed disclosure and privacy as it relates to disability accommodations. Of course some of the usual questions about preferred disability terminology was brought up. I was asked what it was like to act and direct at the same time. Someone asked if I had ever witnessed anybody have a stroke in the middle of the stroke itself as it happened. At the end I was asked what my favorite movie or piece of media was. The interview had a great flow to it. On May 12 2021 I spoke to some developmental psychology students about disability. We talked about Cerebral Palsy, mental health, and work experiences with a disability. One student asked if it was annoying to be called “Inspiring” so I explained the term “Inspiration Porn”. We talked about how some disabled people and other minorities who are often hired simply for a specific identity rather than a specific skill or are over or under estimated in their abilities. We talked about bullying and it’s effect on mental health in the disability community. We talked about appropriate disability terms. One student talked about someone with CP that they knew personally who was in an institution. One student asked if I felt obligated to educate on disability all the time. I explained that I only educated on disability when I felt like it. One person asked if schools and colleges should teach disability studies and about the history of other minorities in the USA. I spoke to many classes in the past few weeks and got feedback from those students. We met disabled students in the UK. The collaboration project is also coming along. Crip Video Productions was featured on Julesworks yet again. We hope to be on Julesworks more in the future. May is Stroke Awareness month. Please share “A Stroke Of Endurance” with a stroke survivor this month!

Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day 2021

March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness month. Today March 25 2021 is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day is apparently entirely different from World CP Day in October. March is also Brain Injury awareness month and Cerebral Palsy is a brain injury. Michael Lettman who writes the blog “Living With Autism” was kind enough to let me write a Cerebral Palsy Awareness post for the blog which you can view by clicking this link. https://masterml9502.wixsite.com/livingwithautism/post/cerebral-palsy-awareness-guest-post-by-margot  Crip Video Productions used to write a Cerebral Palsy Awareness post on our google plus page until google plus shut down entirely. Check out my other guest posts for Michael on our official website press page http://cripvideoproductions.com/press.php along with other guest posts. There is more awareness spreading of the connection between Stroke and Cerebral Palsy.

In other news Crip Video Productions was featured on Julesworks again here https://youtu.be/VVvungDudHA starting at 1 hr 25 minutes into the stream. Crip Video Productions will be part of another Julesworks Follies Live Stream on Saturday March 27th 2021 5:00pm MST. Margot Cole was interviewed by Stephen Jules Rubin about Crip Video Productions and Teatro Paraguas https://www.teatroparaguasnm.org  and is in another video with a friend who wrote a song in the live stream here  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QxXNfpXmwI  EDIT: Here's the replay of the stream, Margot Cole on the stream https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYf7G51vp4w at 1:38:52 1:41:00 and 2:14:00 .Enjoy! We also received this lovely message below:

“

I just watched the film for the first time and wanted to tell you how much I appreciate what you accomplished. It’s a beautiful, beautiful film. I don’t know whether it’s about disabilities as much as it’s about love, because that so shines from every one of the actors it’s almost palpable. As serious as the subject matter is I had to smile through most of it. It’s brilliant the way you made humanity shine even while pointing out human flaws, as though no matter how badly we may sometimes feel or sometimes behave, every minute we have the potential to, as you subtly point out, speak to God as to a friend. Maybe I should have watched it a second time before trying to say something articulate, this is just a gut reaction.

Thank you so much for taking the time to give me the link!

I can’t wait to see what you do next!

”

— 

Sue Marra Byham

In response to Crip Video Productions “A Stroke Of Endurance” http://cripvideoproductions.com/astrokeofendurance.php This quote is posted with full permission from the person who wrote it.

Special thanks to Michael Lettman, Sue Marra Byham, and Stephen Jules Rubin! 

Disability Advocacy Talk Part 2

 Disability Advocacy talk Part 2: 

Today(February 4th 2021) we had a "part 2" to another online video call presentation myself and my Crip Video Productions cast members gave in November 2020. We talked about Cerebral Palsy, blindness, autism and eye surgeries. I(Margot) mentioned that Cerebral Palsy is caused by stroke and that it is actually easier for a baby to have a stroke than an adult(according to "Cerebral Palsy Foundation"). We got questions from people in the UK(England) about educating on disability issues. We had a discussion of adapted martial arts, adapted yoga(called chair yoga apparently), and adapted dance for those with physical disability. We discussed therapeutic Neuroplasticity involved in martial arts and dance for people with neurologic conditions. A woman with a physical disability in the audience spoke a lot about her personal experience. Many audience members mentioned bad experiences with inaccessible public transit. A cast member who is able bodied talked about her experience needing accommodations for a temporary condition and how it helped her empathize more with people with disabilities. Some audience members wanted us to do more presentations. At the end we received feedback that people saw the humanity of the disabled community through us. 

Michael Lettman talked about his youtube channel, blog and autism advocacy project and how I started writing a series of guest blog posts for him during the presentation. https://masterml9502.wixsite.com/livingwithautism/post/disability-in-the-media-guest-post-by-margot  I will continue to guest post for Michael Lettman.

Special thanks to all of the panelists and attendees! We have full permission from everyone involved to write this blog post!

In other news Julesworks which collaborates with Teatro Paraguas featured Crip Video Productions trailer and blooper video in another live stream on January 30 2021 here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hqoMUqvpKc Crip Video Productions is featured at 1:09:00 and 1:58:00 roughly. 

Autism blog post 2 and youtube

 Happy New Year from Crip Video Productions! 

As I mentioned in my last post, I met Michael Lettman on Zoom in 2020 and he was kind enough to let me do a few blog posts for his Autism blog. Here’s my latest posts for his blog https://masterml9502.wixsite.com/livingwithautism/post/a-guest-post-by-margot  https://masterml9502.wixsite.com/livingwithautism/post/disability-in-the-media-guest-post-by-margot 

To my honor and surprise Michael mentioned Crip Video Productions in his latest video for his official youtube channel here https://youtu.be/lXm0VC8l1aM  for which I’m most grateful. Crip Video Productions is mentioned at about 12:14 into the video. The video is included in Michael Lettman’s blog post about his college experiences, and the blog post now includes a wonderful shoutout to Crip Video Productions and some Crip Video Productions supporters here https://masterml9502.wixsite.com/livingwithautism/post/the-college-life-of-michael-lettman in the section about the Fall Semester of 2020. This college post is wonderful for anybody wanting to learn about what college is like for people on the autism spectrum in the USA and how capable autistic individuals are.  Special thanks to Michael Lettman for the wonderful publicity! 

As a reminder Julesworks which often collaborates with Teatro Paraguas was kind enough to stream the "A Stroke Of Endurance" trailer again on Jan 2 2021. Our trailer is at 1:22:04 here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urbNTNl0ryE&feature=youtu.be with a shoutout to all our actors!  Jules also mentions his experience with dysgraphia and seizures in the stream. Teatro Paraguas has poetry by a Stroke Survivor  named Damien Flores who wrote a poem about nearly dying of the stroke here https://xerb.tv/channel/teatro-paraguas/virtual-events/1609  on Xerb as well if you are looking for more content on Stroke after watching our popular film  “A Stroke Of Endurance”.  

Crip Video Productions has upcoming presentations for colleges and folks in the UK so stay tuned to this blog for more. 

Autism blog and youtube live stream

 I met Michael Lettman on Zoom and he was kind enough to let me do a few blog posts for his Autism blog. Here is my first post. Click here https://masterml9502.wixsite.com/livingwithautism/post/a-guest-post-by-margot  to read the blog. 

Julesworks which often collaborates with Teatro Paraguas was kind enough to include the “A Stroke Of Endurance” trailer and some good words for Crip Video Productions with our full permission on a cool youtube live stream yesterday(Dec 27th). Here’s the stream replay here https://youtu.be/9R2JfDUlaAY If you like Julesworks content check out Julesworks Follies 64 on the Teatro Paraguas Xerb here https://xerb.tv/channel/teatro-paraguas/virtual-events/1448 Watch on Xerb BEFORE December 31! 

EDIT: Julesworks was kind enough to stream the "A Stroke Of Endurance" trailer again on Jan 2 2021. Our trailer is at 1:22:04 here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urbNTNl0ryE&feature=youtu.be with a shoutout to all our actors!  

The film “A Stroke Of Endurance” is roughly based on a true story about a professor who had a stroke wanted to live vibrantly."A Stroke Of Endurance” was screened at Teatro Paraguas in 2018 and you can still view the recording of Margot Cole, John Diodato and Izabela Ginda from "A Stroke Of Endurance" performing with Teatro Paraguas in "Home For The Holidays Con Amor Y Gozo" by Alix Hudson here https://xerb.tv/channel/teatro-paraguas/virtual-events/1559 until January 8 2021! 

Special thanks to Michael Lettman and Stephen Jules Rubin! 

Crip Video Productions has big plans for 2021! Stay tuned! 

Xerb link to watch Crip Video Productions perform with Teatro Paraguas!

 Thank you so much to those of you who watched "Home For The Holidays" on Zoom! If you missed the play, want to see it again, or share it with other people, "A Musical Pinata for Christmas VIII Home For The Holidays" is now available for viewing on Xerb for FREE here https://xerb.tv/channel/teatro-paraguas/virtual-events/1559 ONLY until January 8 2021!!! Free play! An inclusive play with disabled actors and non-disabled actors performing together! 

Please share the information about the play below with others widely! Xerb register link here! 

https://xerb.tv/channel/teatro-paraguas/virtual-events/1559 

If you haven't made a Xerb account yet simply input your name and email to make a free account and then click the yellow register button to view the play.

The play is  on xerb.tv with videos of short scenes and carols and holiday music by the Teatro Paraguas Orchestra from previous community celebrations.

Alix Hudson & Paola Vengoechea-Martini's short play, Home for the Holidays: Con Amor y Gozo, is a Spanglish romp of Advent (and Chanukah) 2020. In Home for the Holidays, the 20 actors of all ages from our Paraguas family are also a literal family -- desperately trying to cobble together a "normal" Christmas for the family matriarch, Mama JoJo (JoJo Sena de Tarnoff). But group Christmas preparations on Zoom don't prove easy in the midst of the pandemic. Mama JoJo's daughters (Cristina Vigil, Juliet Salazar, Jeni Tincher, Alix Hudson, Sharla Stearn, Julia Gay, Paola Vengoechea-Martini) each take different approaches coping with the stress, from remedios to music to micromanagement, and Tio Padre Froggy (Rudy Fernandez) worries about composing his famous Misa del Gallo homily. While the teenagers (Luca Martini, Shaunti Sitonik, Amaya Smith) are more than okay with the lax oversight, their little primos (Logan Gay, Josephine Tincher, Emilia Martini) worry about the rest of the family. Eclectic Uncles (Stephen Jules Rubin, Argos MacCallum) remind us of our Musical Piñata for Christmas tradition, now in its 8th year. And observing this locura are the New York cousins, who have no excuse not to attend the family Christmas in its online format. The NY primos are played by New York City-based Crip Video Productions   http://cripvideoproductions.com  company members from "A Stroke Of Endurance" http://cripvideoproductions.com/astrokeofendurance.php  Margot Cole, John Diodato, and Izabela Ginda. Will the familia pull off the perfect rendition of Mama JoJo's favorite carol, "Vamos Todos a Belén," despite the odds?? 

Crip Video Productions mentioned in Teatro Paraguas press articles Theater in Digital Spere.  Theatre Santa Fe

After you watch "Home For The Holidays" check out A Musical Piñata for Christmas Retrospective and other plays such as "Volver, Volver, Volver" "Red Bike" and "Love In The DMZ" on Teatro Paraguas Xerb channel!  

Teatro Paraguas theater and Crip Video Productions have collaborated in the past for screenings of all 4 Crip Video Productions films at different times in 2015 and in 2018 https://cripvideoproductions.tumblr.com/post/172227194621/a-stroke-of-endurance-santa-fe-screening-2018  https://cripvideoproductions.tumblr.com/post/172253907471/a-stroke-of-endurance-santa-fe-screening-2018  https://cripvideoproductions.tumblr.com/post/174001330906/this-is-the-playbill-from-the-teatro-paraguas 

This is reposted with full permission of Teatro Paraguas!

DISCLAIMER: This online production has no connection to Crip Video Productions. Crip Video Productions does NOT receive monetary gain. This is an entirely separate project. This event is posted by Crip Video Productions for advertisement purposes only! All copyright belongs to original owners!  

Zoom link to watch Crip Video Productions perform with Teatro Paraguas

 Register on Zoom now! https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kUJ-DG9JTzuTIfgKgVGHCg 

 Teatro Paraguas theater and Crip Video Productions have collaborated in the past for screenings of all 4 Crip Video Productions films at different times in 2015 and in 2018 that you can read about in our "achieve" post sections on this blog. https://cripvideoproductions.blogspot.com/2019/01/new-mexico-2018-screening-press-release.html  https://cripvideoproductions.blogspot.com/2019/01/santa-fe-new-mexico-screening-parts-1.html  Now Crip Video Productions is performing in a Zoom play titled "Home for the Holidays: Con Amor y Gozo," a Zoom play by Alix Hudson on Friday, December 18 2020 7:00pm mountain time on Zoom. Please watch the play and consider donating to Teatro Paraguas! This is an inclusive play where disabled performers and non-disabled performers perform together! Read our previous post about the play here (edited to include Zoom link)  https://cripvideoproductions.blogspot.com/2020/12/crip-video-productions-performs-with.html 

 Zoom and Xerb register links here! 

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kUJ-DG9JTzuTIfgKgVGHCg 

https://xerb.tv/channel/teatro-paraguas/virtual-events/1559 

Teatro Paraguas presents A Musical Piñata for Christmas VIII on Zoom & xerb.tv

WHAT: 8th Annual A Musical Piñata for Christmas community celebration

WHEN: Friday, December 18 at 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: Live on Zoom, available afterwards on xerb.tv

Zoom link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kUJ-DG9JTzuTIfgKgVGHCg  

Free! Donations gratefully accepted!

On Friday, December 18, 2020, Teatro Paraguas will present A Musical Piñata for Christmas VIII, an annual community celebration for the Holidays.  This virtual offering features a short play by Alix Hudson and Paola vengoechea Martini, entitled Home for the Holidays: Con Amor y Gozo, which will be live on Zoom.  Afterwards the audience is invited to join us for a virtual gathering.

The play will be posted afterwards on xerb.tv with videos of short scenes and carols and holiday music by the Teatro Paraguas Orchestra from previous community celebrations.

Alix Hudson & Paola Vengoechea-Martini's short play, Home for the Holidays: Con Amor y Gozo, is a Spanglish romp of Advent (and Chanukah) 2020. In Home for the Holidays, the 20 actors of all ages from our Paraguas family are also a literal family -- desperately trying to cobble together a "normal" Christmas for the family matriarch, Mama JoJo (JoJo Sena de Tarnoff). But group Christmas preparations on Zoom don't prove easy in the midst of the pandemic. Mama JoJo's daughters (Cristina Vigil, Juliet Salazar, Jeni Tincher, Alix Hudson, Sharla Stearn, Julia Gay, Paola Vengoechea-Martini) each take different approaches coping with the stress, from remedios to music to micromanagement, and Tio Padre Froggy (Rudy Fernandez) worries about composing his famous Misa del Gallo homily. While the teenagers (Luca Martini, Shaunti Sitonik, Amaya Smith) are more than okay with the lax oversight, their little primos (Logan Gay, Josephine Tincher, Emilia Martini) worry about the rest of the family. Eclectic Uncles (Stephen Jules Rubin, Argos MacCallum) remind us of our Musical Piñata for Christmas tradition, now in its 8th year. And observing this locura are the New York cousins, who have no excuse not to attend the family Christmas in its online format. The NY primos are played by New York City-based Crip Video Productions   http://cripvideoproductions.com  company members from "A Stroke Of Endurance" http://cripvideoproductions.com/astrokeofendurance.php  Margot Cole, John Diodato, and Izabela Ginda. Will the familia pull off the perfect rendition of Mama JoJo's favorite carol, "Vamos Todos a Belén," despite the odds?? Join us at 9pm NYC time, 7pm Mountain Time, on December 18th -- on Zoom! -- to find out.

This information is reposted with full permission of Teatro Paraguas! 

DISCLAIMER: This online production has no connection to Crip Video Productions. Crip Video Productions does NOT receive monetary gain from any aspect of this production. Donations go to Teatro Paraguas, NOT Crip Video Productions! This is an entirely separate project. This event is posted by Crip Video Productions for advertisement purposes only! All copyright belongs to original owners!