Former Poster Child
By Grace Nelson
Directed by Jason Vernon

The James Theater
Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.

Former Poster Child by Grace Nelson is a theatrically staged performance with accessibility at its core. Directed by Jason Vernon, as his Social Justice and the Performing Arts capstone project, this new work is an intentional and innovative experiment of form, re-imagining the traditional theater model and centering disabled stories for disabled audiences.

In this humorous “one woman” show, we invoke the lifecycle and investigate what it means to be human. Consider this play a "living memoir" exploring personal storytelling and discussing the mundane moments of life. This piece is designed for all audiences, with ASL interpretation, Audio Description, live captioning, and an accessible venue.

Special Acknowledgements

Maura Conlon, Loyce Arthur, Johanna Kasimow, Mary Beth Easley, Caroline Clay, Kristina Gordon, Mary Mayo, Cristina Goyeneche, Kelly Walsh, Katie McClellan, Stephanie Miracle, Jerron Herman, Aaron Pang, Cami Rezabek, T Miller, Jamie Ellis, Egan Greenwalt, Darrin Terpstra, Emily Kaufman-Bell, Lucas Nelson, Zoe Senese-Grossberg, Meredith Healy, Kayla Adams, Annelyse Gelman, Elise Dahan, André Perry, Margaret Williamson, Ella Sirna, Kenzie Fick,

The Department of Theatre Arts, Performing Arts at Iowa, The Marcia Thayer scholarship committee, The James Theatre, and The Stanley Museum of Art. 

This show is dedicated to Karlee Hughes and family, and Carole Horowitz.

This work has been possible by the Joseph R. Conlon Jr. New Theatre Works Fund

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact the Department of Theatre Arts at 319-335-2700 in advance of the event.