Date: Saturday, January 25th at 6pm (Eastern)/3pm (Pacific)Topic: New Year, New Resolution: Dismantling Ableist Structures in our Literary OfficesTo Attend: LMDA members only, contact Heather at freelance@lmda.org for the Zoom video chat link.Speakers: Andrea Kovich (Accessibility Consultant and Seattle-based Freelance Dramaturg) and Madison Parrotta (Theatre Breaking Through Barriers and NYC-based Freelance Dramaturg)As we begin 2020, our Case Study & Conversation series continues to discuss best practices for literary offices in regards to working with disabled dramaturgs and playwrights. Dramaturgs and literary managers are often positioned to be a more effective ally and can lead the way with strategies for our institutions. Our speakers will initiate a conversation about how we can better support disabled artists. In addition to reviewing the language around accommodations, how can literary managers be prepared to discern ableism in an early draft of a script? Our speakers will also share experiences with ableist structures they’ve encountered within the profession, and how dramaturgs can problem solve in preparation to bring a disabled playwright into their space. In preparation for the topic, our speakers have also included articles they’ve written into their bios.ANDREA KOVICH (she/ her)Andrea is a Seattle-based dramaturg, writer, and proud member of LMDA.  She self-identifies as a disabled artist and is passionate about collaborating with historically marginalized voices to promote diversity and inclusion. Past projects include production dramaturgy for Book-It Repertory Theatre, Taproot Theatre Company, and Sound Theatre Company. Other projects include curating a staged reading series focused on Deaf and Disabled playwrights and new work development for Umbrella Project and The Scratch. She’s also a script reader for new play festivals and participates in the national and international cohort, Unsettling Dramaturgy: Crip and Indigenous Process Design in the Studio, on the Stage, and in the Street. She’s the author of two HowlRound articles:“In Search of Authenticity: Including Disability in Theatre”https://howlround.com/search-authenticityand “Disability, Identity, and Representation: Notes from a Dramaturg”https://howlround.com/disability-identity-and-representationMADISON PARROTTA is a freelance dramaturg and editor interested in making the worlds of theatre and publishing a place where disability is welcomed and accessibility is only the beginning of the conversation. Currently she is a reader for Premiere Stages, a proofreader for Focus Forward, the assistant managing editor of the theatre and disability section of The Theatre Times, an essay scorer for Vantage, and the senior editor for Includas Publishing. She’s also an avid reader and book collector. One of her upcoming projects will be with Theatre Breaking Through Barriers.Links to Madison’s articles on disability:1. https://www.scarleteen.com/article/disability_pregnancy_parenting_relationships_sexuality/sex_and_parent_caregivers?fbclid=IwAR18Y58FJuftbFIUcxNstv1YIuPF7qpILqJbOA5iC2tI6YJSsejY0JGQWHo2. https://dramatics.org/making-theatre-accessible-to-all/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialWarfare&fbclid=IwAR138H-ieUDWQo3MUSC4Nu7RT8CFO-Fp5xU9FkQ-NxPtDYEKZS2LJlQ1-kA3. https://thetheatretimes.com/is-the-new-york-theater-scene-serving-disabled-artists-and-the-disabled-population/?fbclid=IwAR3GNeFzm3BFyD5kxbC0g749kedywUv2tFH9fgOd9JhqyCcJg0VEG5zWiRg4. https://thetheatretimes.com/disabled-bodies-american-theatre/