35 min / documentary / 2009 / USA
filmmaker: Greg Byers
A performing arts studio for adults with developmental disabilities changes the perception of Hollywood casting agents and producers to hire these trained actors to play characters with disabilities in film and television.
If acting wasn’t a hard enough job to land, throw in being disabled and see what reaction you’d get. That’s the challenge John Paizis and the folks at Performing Arts Studio West face every day in the entertainment biz. “Acting Normal” is an intimate and cultural look at this group of individual’s lives and showing that “normal” is what life gives you and what you decide to do with it.
In this film, narrated by August McAdoo who is one of the clients, we meet a few of these unique actors and hear their dreams and goals. One lead character, the very confident Nick Daley, has his ups and downs but through some successful auditions and with the support of John and his team, Nick lands a co-staring role along side of a big-time actress on a television series.
Sam has a passion to be a dancer, but is too shy to realize her dreams. When Peaches (her magical inner-diva-cum-drag queen) materializes on one night, Sam’s dreams transform into reality.
Daisy waits in a bar for her online date – he is late. A man offers her a drink and she mistakes him for the date who has stood her up.
Tom holds a secret in his human heart; a wing beat and a flutter, and it’s bursting to take flight in this tale of magical realism.
Lou may have Down’s Syndrome but she is more than capable of looking after herself and she longs for independence.
A teenage girl who feels left out and ignored by her peers, is inspired to do something audacious in order to get noticed.
A playful and unsentimental portrait of Rene, a young man with Down syndrome, made by his close friend Duane Graves.
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