SDITC

In March, 2004, Melissa Ann Hansen endeavored to provide an opportunity for children with and without disabilities in Butte to participate in an inclusive recreational opportunity, and chose one of her interests, theatre. Hansen wrote a short play called Same Difference, which was a series of vignettes designed to teach audiences about disabilities. Feeling confident in her short play of 7 vignettes, Hansen held auditions in the East Middle School Auditorium, expecting a handful of auditioners. When 33 children showed up for auditions, Hansen quickly realized her 7 scene play would need to be expanded. After several weeks of rehearsals, Same Difference, a 15 scene play debuted at the Orphan Girl Theatre and Montana Tech Auditorium, as a featured event during the city-wide Can-Do Festival, held in recognition of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. There were four performances, financed by Hansen, and admission was by donation to the United Way of Butte, earmarked for disabilities services in Silver Bow County. Following the opening of the play, Hansen began to receive phone calls, e-mails, cards and letters, which overwhelmingly indicated that this couldn’t be a one-time activity. The Can-Do Festival that Hansen served on was chaired by Todd Hoar, Director of Silver Bow Developmental Disabilities Council (SBDDC), a non-profit 501(c)3 organization established in 1979. Within days of the close of the play, Hansen had contacted Hoar to assist her in developing some sort of program out of the play. It was determined that SBDDC would create an outreach program, directed and creatively controlled by Hansen that would be an inclusive theatre company, named Same Difference Inclusive Theatre Company (SDITC).

In April 2004, SDITC performed their disabilities awareness play at Butte’s pediatric psychiatric hospital, Kids Behavioral Health of Montana. In May, Hansen, Hoar, and Hansen’s theatre mentor, Mark Tenniswood, collaborated to write a grant to the Montana Council on Developmental Disabilities (MCDD) to provide a series of one week theatre performance camps in four Montana cities. The grant was awarded, and required SDITC to provide a combined in-kind/cash match of 25%. A variety of fundraisers were brainstormed, and ultimately Hansen and Hoar decided to use inclusive productions as a means of raising funds. In July 2004, the first production The Complete History of America, Abridged, premiered at Montana Tech Auditorium. The production was financed by Hansen, and profited $164, which was used to finance the next production, a drug and alcohol awareness play called Under the Influence, staged in September which for the first time featured both children and adults with and without disabilities. The participation of adults added greatly to the program, and productions featuring adults have since been a value of SDITC. In October, SDITC produced Seven Wives for Dracula and Reunion on Gallows Hill during the Family Halloween Festival at the Butte Plaza Mall. The year was rounded out by SDITC’s first musical, Toy Camp, in December, which featured 64 performers with and without disabilities.

SDITC produced the play Spirit!, about elderly issues, in February 2005, with half of the proceeds benefiting the Belmont Senior Citizen Center, in Butte. In March 2005, a 21 scene version of Same Difference: A Developmental Disabilities Awareness Play was staged at Montana Tech Auditorium, with admissions again, by donation. SDITC performed both Spirit! and Same Difference: A Developmental Disabilities Awareness Play at the Old Depot Theatre in Dillon, in addition to Butte performances. A fundraiser for Butte High School Speech and Debate Team followed, when the musical How to Eat like a Child and Other Lessons in Not being a Grown-Up was produced. The production was accompanied by an auction, and together over $1500 was raised. June through August 2005 was spent fulfilling the requirements of the MCDD grant, as 17 members of SDITC traveled to Billings, Colstrip, Great Falls, and Kalispell, to hold a week-long performance camp with local children with and without disabilities which resulted in a performance of Same Difference: A Developmental Disabilities Awareness Play in each city. Also in the summer of 2005, Melissa Hansen spent two weeks at the Permian Playhouse in Odessa, Texas directing an inclusive theatre camp that resulted in performances of her disabilities awareness play. In October 2005, SDITC held its second Family Halloween Festival at Butte Plaza Mall, and in addition created and operated Butte Plaza Mall’s Haunted House. In November, SDITC produced the musical Sleepy Hollow, based on the Washington Irving classic. For this production, SDITC made 45 costumes out of donated bed sheets from Butte’s motels, which were hand dyed with indigenous natural materials, such as choke cherries, pinecones, leaves, and berries. It was a full team effort, and a great lesson in history and science for all cast and crew members. Following this production, SDITC created the “Hannah Coughlin Gonshak Memorial Opportunity Fund,” in honor of an original cast member who lost her life during a seizure in August. Hannah was 17 years old. The intent of the fund would be to assist SDITC participants in attending workshops, classes, auditions and competitions. In December 2005, SDITC provided the Drop While You Shop Entertainment Extravaganza at Butte Plaza Mall, a drop-in child care service that combined theatre workshops with performances of the plays Yours Truly, Jack Frost and Too Wrapped Up for Christmas, and the musical The Wishing Tree.

The year 2006 was monumental for SDITC. In March, the troupe again performed their signature play in Butte during developmental disabilities awareness month, which was followed by a statewide school tour, funded by their second consecutive grant from MCDD. The troupe performed in Arlee, Billings, Canyon Creek, Colstrip, Deer Lodge, Drummond, Forsyth, Gardiner, Heart Butte, Kalispell, and Shelby in public elementary, middle and high schools, which included two reservation schools. In June 2006, Hansen and Hoar approached Butte Silver Bow Arts Foundation (BSBAF) about the possibility of creating an accessible theatre in their newly acquired building, which was Butte’s former Uptown YMCA. SDITC would build an accessible theatre space and modify restrooms to gain accessibility, and in addition to the improvements to the building, would donate a percentage of proceeds from performances to BSBAF, and relinquish use of the space for profitable rentals, in lieu of paying rent or a usage fee. The renovations totaled approximately $10,000 and were paid for through SDITC’s savings and private donations of families whose children participate in SDITC programs. The stage was christened the “Christopher Dombroski Memorial Stage,” after a 12 year old boy who was a member of SDITC, who died in June 2006, after he was burned in a fire. The bulk of the work was accomplished by SDITC members, under the leadership of Hansen and Hoar. The renovation was completed within a month, and the first production in their home theatre was a fundraiser for Butte High School Drama Club to provide theatre education scholarships for local students, as they staged the musical, We the People. In July 2006, using MCDD grant funds, SDITC held a two week summer theatre camp for 42 people with and without disabilities from Butte, Billings, Bozeman, Colstrip, Great Falls, Kalispell, and Missoula, which was professionally filmed with the hopes of developing a documentary about inclusion, in the future. These two weeks were profound, and words cannot describe the lessons learned, bonds developed, responsibility taken, and abundance of laughter and tears experienced during this 336 hour adventure.  In October 2006, SDITC staged The Illustrated Woman, a drama about domestic violence and child sexual abuse, with proceeds benefiting Safe Space Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program, in addition to operating the Haunted House at Butte Plaza Mall. In November 2006, under a grant from Chippewa Cree Vocational Rehabilitation, SDITC performed their disabilities awareness play in Havre and on the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation, where they incorporated local performers with and without disabilities. SDITC’s final production of 2006 was the musical, Seussical, in collaboration with the buttenik ensemble, a professional theatre company in Butte.

In January 2007, SDITC performed before the Montana Legislature at the Capitol Building in Helena. In March 2007, SDITC staged two plays the now 25 scene Same Difference: A Disabilities Awareness Play and Braille: The Early Life of Louis Braille. In April 2007, SDITC staged A Matter of Trust: A Drama about Sexual Assault in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, with a portion of proceeds benefiting Safe Space Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program. In May  2007, SDITC performed a combination of the plays Same Difference: A Disabilities Awareness Play, Braille: The Early Life of Louis Braille and the musical Once on this Island, on their third consecutive tour sponsored by MCDD. This tour focused on inclusion as the troupe performed in Belgrade, Boulder, Box Elder, Butte, Great Falls, Lewistown, Miles City, Missoula, and Superior, including performances in a convalescent center, the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, a Boys and Girls Club, a Veteran’s Hospital, several public and private schools, in addition to public venues. In June 2007, SDITC performed as part of The Road to Freedom Tour, a national movement celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act, in Missoula. Also in June, SDITC assisted one participant in attending the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she auditioned for college scholarships and attended workshops, using funds from the Hannah Coughlin Gonshak Memorial Opportunity Fund.  In July, 2007, Same Difference Inclusive Theatre Company moved into a new theatre space located at 900 West Broadway, in Butte. Also in July, SDITC provided workshops to youth who have disabilities at the Montana Youth Leadership Forum (MYLF), which culminated in a performance by the 20 youth delegates. The production consisted of excerpts from “Same Difference: A Disabilities Awareness Play,” along with an entertaining variety show. In August 2007, SDITC was recognized by Montana’s professional theatre companies when asked to perform in the Smorgasbord of Summer Theatre, alongside the Vigilante Theatre Company (Bozeman), Philipsburg Opera House (Philipsburg), Virginia City Players and Brewery Follies (Virginia City), Fort Peck Summer Theatre (Glasgow) and buttenik ensemble (Butte). In September 2007, SDITC produced their first production featuring performers aged 12 and under, the musical, Eyefellgloffenhootenanniemerryberrycrunch, a food-raiser for the Butte Emergency Food Bank.  Also in September 2007, SDITC toured Same Difference: A Disabilities Awareness Play and Sure to Delight: A Musical Variety Show, to Columbus and Wolf Point, Montana, and made their international debut with performances of the same shows in Val Marie, Saskatchewan, Canada. In October, 2007, SDITC performed a musical variety show at the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL) national conference. As a service project in October, SDITC created and operated the Haunted House at the Butte Plaza Mall. In November, 2007, SDITC produced the classic comedy Blithe Spirit, in Butte and Dillon. The final production of 2007 was the family favorite, It’s a Wonderful Life, produced in December. In 2007, four members of SDITC became members of AmeriCorps, each providing 450 hours of service through SDITC, and receiving $1250 education award, through the Jobs for Montana’s Graduates Foundation.

In January 2008, members of SDITC and Sayatovic Construction built an 87 foot ramp in the new theatre building, to facilitate accessibility throughout the building. The ramp was built using materials from the dismantled “Christopher Dombroski Memorial Stage.” In March 2008, SDITC produced the full scale musical Zombie Prom, a fundraiser for Montana Thespian Troupe 5474.  Same Difference: A Disabilities Awareness Play was also performed in March, in Butte, and for the first time featured a performers who have traumatic brain injuries, who live at Liberty Place in Whitehall, Montana. The troupe also performed Same Difference: A Disabilities Awareness Play at the Capitol in Helena, during the Independent Living Poster Day Event. In April, SDITC performed at the Council for Exceptional Children regional conference, in Billings. In May, Melissa Ann Hansen and son, Landon Hansen, traveled to upstate New York, under a grant from PIO Ministries to produce Same Difference: A Disabilities Awareness Play, with local performers. The production featured 25 performers with and without disabilities, and performing in her hometwon felt like a dream come true for Hansen. Using resources from the Hannah Coughlin Gonshak Memorial Opportunity Fund, SDITC assisted 4 participants in attending the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska. These youth participated in auditions and workshops during the week long event. In July, SDITC participated in workshops at Montana Youth Leadership Forum (MYLF), where they directed youth delegates who have disabilities to perform scenes from Same Difference: A Disabilities Awareness Play, along with a variety show. In August, SDITC held the “Same Difference Inclusive Theatre Company All Star Award Celebration,” for seasons 2004-2007. Awards were given in the areas of community supporters, technical theatre, best performers, break out performances, mentorship and difference makers, for each year. It was a formal event, and over 85 people were in attendance. Also in August, SDITC performed the Show Tune Showcase at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. In October, SDITC performed the critically acclaimed Tennessee Williams classic, The Glass Menagerie. As a service project in October, SDITC created and operated the Haunted House in Butte Plaza Mall. In November, SDITC produced The Canterville Ghost, a comedy, which became notoriuosly more comedic when the male lead had an emergency which was supposed to make him about 15 minutes late. After offering free refreshments to the audience, and explaining that the show would be slightly delayed, Hansen received another phone call from the performer indicating that he would be another half hour late. In “the show must go on” spirit, Hansen made a decision. She took her director’s binder out in front of the stage and addressed the audience, saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience. It doesn’t look like our actor is going to make it in a reasonable amount of time, so I will be using this (holding up her binder), to play two parts, and we’ll give you your money back on your way out.”  The Canterville Ghost is a funny show, but judging from the laughter of the audience watching Hansen portray the parts of both the wife and the husband, made it a hilarious show. In the middle of the show, there was an unexpected opening of the set door, and in walked the late actor who said “hello all, sorry I’m late,” and went on with his business. Noone would take a refund following the performance. In December, SDITC produced the holiday classic A Christmas Story, complete with the Red Ryder BB gun, pink bunny suit, and infamous leg lamp. SDITC collected donations to the Butte Emergency Food Bank and gifts for children in foster care in Silver Bow County from audience members for reduced admission. The production and service project was sponsored by the Montana Governor’s Office of Community Service Inclusion Grant. In 2008, 25 youth became members of AmeriCorps, providing either 300 or 450 hours of service through SDITC, and receiving either a $1000 or a $1250 education award through the Jobs for Montana’s Graduates Foundation. Several youth completed two terms of service.

In January 2009, the “Same Difference Inclusive Theatre Company All Star Award Celebration” was held at Aldersgate United Methodist Church for 2008. Also in January, SDITC performed A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Capitol in Helena,  where the troupe performed Dr. King’s famous “I have a dream” speech, followed by the singing of 5 freedom songs, dating back to the days of slavery in America. In February, SDITC produced A Very Varied Variety Show featuring scenes written by troupe members. In March, SDITC performed Same Difference: A Disabilities Awareness Play in Butte and in Bozeman, again joined by an even larger group of performers from Liberty Place. In April, SDITC produced the two person musical The Last Five Years and a dinner theatre production called Singin’for your Supper, which was a fundraiser to send members of the troupe to the International Thespian Festival to perform. In May, SDITC performed Just Desserts, an audience participation mystery that’s admission included the ability to partake in eating over 30 delicious desserts. All leftovers were donated to the Butte Rescue Mission.  Also in May, SDITC performed scenes from Same Difference: A Disabilities Awareness Play along with a selection of musical numbers at the State Disabilities Conference in Helena. In June, 6 troupe members, chaperoned by Melissa Ann Hansen, traveled to the International Thespian Festival, in Lincoln, Nebraska, where they performed scenes from Same Difference: A Disabilities Awareness Play. This festival is the only event of its kind in the USA for high school students involved in performing arts. The play was extremely well-received, and the cast members were interviewed, hugged, and cried upon, as they smiled for photos and signed autographs on the programs of fellow thespians from across the country. Royalty requests from schools in several states were received following this performance. In July, SDITC troupe members taught workshops at Montana Youth Leadership Forum, which culminated in a public performance by the delegates. Beginning in July, SDITC embarked on a new project, by offering summer dance classes that resulted in a September recital entitled Fashion: Dressed Head to Toe in Dance. The classes were taught by a very talented dancer and SDITC troupe member, who has since gone on to New York City to work on establishing a professional dance career. In August, SDITC performed the musical variety show, A Miner Musical at the World Museum of Mining in Butte. In October, SDITC performed Same Difference: A Disabilities Awareness Play at the Montana Youth Transitions Conference in addition to creating and operating the Haunted House at Butte Plaza Mall.  In November, SDITC performed the two person drama, Grace and Glorie, a poignant play about the relationship between an elderly woman dying of cancer and the hospice volunteer who assists her in completing her earthly journey with dignity. A spokesperson from Rocky Mountain Hospice attended each performance to provide information and resources to audience members, while brochures and other helpful materials were provided by Easter Seals Highlands Hospice. In December, SDITC produced the holiday musical, Prairie Lights. This production was sponsored as a service project by the Montana Governor’s Ofice of Community Service, and donations were collected and forwarded to the Butte Emergency Food Bank and to the Silver Bow County Chilkd and Family Service office for children in foster care. Also, in December, the SDITC All Start Award Celebration was held at Aldersgate Church. In 2009, Melissa Ann Hansen began working on achieving 501-(c)3 non-profit status for SDITC. The outcome is currently pending. In 2009, 11 youth became AmeriCorps members, serving through SDITC.

Over the years, Same Difference Inclusive Theatre Company has served over 250 children and adults with and without disabilities throughout Montana, as well as 45 Texans, and 25 New Yorkers. Audience attendance at SDITC productions is over 20,000 people.  SDITC believes they have developed a unique and necessary program that changes lives, and look forward to making an impact on both a local and global scale in the future.  In 2010, Melissa Ann Hansen will endeavor to replicate the SDITC program in southern Utah.