Amelia Fei & Ava Xiao-lin Rigelhaupt (How to Dance in Ohio) | Renegades
Translating the coming-of-age documentary to the Broadway stage
Welcome to Renegades, a series spotlighting Asian Pacific leaders and creatives who are carving their own paths and defying stereotypes along the way.
This week, we spoke with Amelia Fei and Ava Xiao-lin Rigelhaupt, actor and Autism Creative Consultant respectively of the Broadway show How to Dance in Ohio, based on the Peabody-Award-winning HBO documentary. The show follows seven autistic young adults at a group counseling center in Columbus, Ohio, as they prepare for a spring formal dance. Tickets are available now.
What did you want to be when you were growing up, and how does that compare to what you do today?
Amelia: My first ever dream job was an archaeologist, because history has been my special interest and I’ve always been so fascinated by people. Then I discovered musical theater at the age of 12, and I have wanted to be a musical theater actress ever since!
Ava: As a kid, I never imagined doing exactly what I’m doing today BUT I imagined elements of it. I was a theatre kid from elementary through college. I imagined being an actor and writer because I have always loved performing and creating my own worlds.
Like many women, I was diagnosed on the autism spectrum later, at 18 years old. The diagnosis helped answer a lot of questions my mom and I had for years like why I had trouble making friends and learning certain skills. It also explained why (like many autistic people) I loved acting! Acting is practiced, scripted interaction where you’re encouraged to try new things and take risks. If something doesn’t go well you can start over! In real life you can’t say “I don’t think I sounded the way I wanted to, can we start over?” I explain the social part of autism as feeling like everyone reads a social skills rule book—except for me—but I’m still expected to take the test.
This diagnosis added another facet to my already intersectional identity: Chinese, Jewish, transracial, autistic adoptee with a single mom. It also led me to the work I do today—combining my love of entertainment and the arts with accessibility and inclusion.
“How to Dance in Ohio” is inspired by the award-winning HBO documentary, and now it’s a musical. How does this transition from a documentary format to a musical on stage open up new opportunities for storytelling and connecting with the audience?
Amelia: I think it shows there are so many stories out there that are worth telling and since the show is directly inspired by real people and events in the documentary, it shows a sense of rawness, which I find beautiful and relatable.
Ava: The first answer that came to mind is the opportunity to showcase the immense talent within the autism and/or disability community and break stigmas on a world stage! Some people think autistic people can’t work or be actors, but we’re proving them wrong. Our actors weren’t hired just because they’re autistic, either. They were hired because they are extremely talented and can play their roles.
The second answer is that a documentary can only show so much. When creating a fictionalized world, the writers had the ability to bring new elements into the story, for example, we have non-binary characters, different types of families, and even different aspects of autism and daily life not shown in the documentary. This gives more opportunities for autistic and non-autistic people to see parts of themselves reflected onstage. Especially for the autism community, this is something that rarely happens, and even rarer with authentic casting and teams consisting of autistic and non-autistic people.
Lastly, everyone working on the show hopes that it’s just the catalyst for more conversations and change regarding accessibility in the arts including Broadway. We won’t keep what we learned to ourselves; we want to share it! As producer Adrienne Becker said, “we want to positively disrupt how Broadway is conducted.”
Amelia, can you share with us how your personal experiences and talents have influenced your performance in the musical, and what aspects of the story resonated with you?
Amelia: My character, Caroline, is an autistic individual who’s very bubbly, loving, and cares deeply about everyone’s feelings. She wants to fit in and tries her best to always do the right things. Being autistic as well as a foreigner, I have to navigate through life feeling like “the other” a lot. I deeply relate to the emotions and incidents Caroline goes through in the story, and I appreciate how it shows different things people deal with in the spectrum that are rarely shown in the mainstream media, such as setting boundaries or depending on guidance or directions from allistic individuals who could potentially be abusive. In an odd way, I feel more at ease than ever performing as Caroline, because I feel safe and liberating to just be myself onstage.
As the Autistic Creative Consultant for this production, could you describe your role in helping to ensure the authenticity and sensitivity of the portrayal in “How to Dance in Ohio”? What were some of the specific insights and guidance you provided to the creative team?
Ava: I work across all the teams to create a culture of inclusion and accessibility, both internally and public-facing.
Initially, I brought knowledge from projects with theaters and Hollywood studios, many of which I did with RespectAbility, regarding proper onstage/onscreen autism representation. The creators and I discussed autism cliches to avoid—such as all autistic people don’t make eye contact—proper disability language, and adding authentic autistic mannerisms which add nuances and truths to our characters.
Beyond the script, Becky Leifman and I work with the producers to create accessible rehearsal spaces. We sent out an access needs survey to all cast and crew—not just the disabled ones—which asked, “what do you need to do your best work?” “How do you learn new material?” Even before entering the space, our actors and crew felt supported and respected. Simple things like this create more equity and accessibility.
I also bring my sensory friendly knowledge to the show. We work with the Belasco theater to incorporate various audience accessibility features: for example, our Sensory Friendly Advisory Guide, linked HERE, gives patrons a show synopsis and tells them when a loud noise will happen so they can prepare.
Additionally, Becky and I created a Language Guide for press/news outlets, explaining disability terms and culture, such as why the show uses Identity-First language (autistic person) instead of Person-First language (person with autism). For many autistic people, autism is an important part of their identities. It’s not an add-on, or something they can put down at the end of the day.
Finally, I work with the producers, PR, and partnerships teams on outreach to disability-led organizations, disabled influencers, allies, and more. We want to spread the word and collaborate with individuals, companies, and nonprofits that share our values of inclusion and impact-driven work—like Gold House!
The music in a musical is often a key element that connects with the audience emotionally. Could you discuss how the music in “How to Dance in Ohio” enhances the storytelling and your character’s journey?
Amelia: Jacob’s music is so rich and so nurturing. All the songs I get to sing as my character all have this sense of bubbly cheeriness and dreamlike quality, but with a neurotic undertone. I don’t know how he does it, but he perfectly captures how it feels like to live in my brain haha.
Music plays a significant role in the emotional impact of a musical. How do you see the music in “How to Dance in Ohio” complementing the storytelling and enhancing the audience’s connection to the characters and their journeys?
Ava: Jacob Yadura is a genius! This show uses music to introduce audiences to the autistic community and their experiences. I’ll use one of Amelia’s songs called “Slow Dancing” as an example. Her character, Caroline, loves themes of kings, queens, and grand balls. Through the music used in a dream-like imaginary sequence, audiences get a glimpse into Caroline’s wishes for her future, along with trepidations about herself and her new boyfriend. The music, costumes, and emotions are a break from the musical’s realistic, modern, everyday themes—perfectly encompassing Caroline’s romantic, bubbly personality and what’s going on in her head. It’s a showstopper!
What are you currently working on that’s exciting you the most?
Amelia: We’re currently in previews (as of this interview), which means that a lot is still changing in the show, and we get to see different audience’s reactions to different things every time we do it. I am also still discovering new things about Caroline and myself after being with this character for two years, and that’s super exciting.
Ava: Besides this show? :) I’m writing for a PBS Kids animated tv series called, “Carl the Collector.” It also features neurodiverse characters including those on the autism spectrum! Check out the Hollywood Reporter article here. I love that the characters are animals! Carl is a raccoon.
Lightning Round
Daily habit?
Amelia: Embroidery or painting
Ava: Yoga (often with Mom!) - I recommend Youtube’s Yoga With Adriene!
Most used emoji?
Amelia: 👀
Ava: 😌
Most productive time of the day:
Amelia: Afternoon
Ava: Afternoon
Favorite film or TV series you recently watched?
Amelia: Beef
Ava: Never Have I Ever, Everything Everywhere All At Once
Fun fact?
Amelia: I can bark like a chihuahua
Ava: I’ve been horseback riding since I was 6 years old!
Favorite Broadway Show?
Amelia: Sunday in the Park with George
Ava: Flower Drum Song or Chicago