This episode's discussion revolves around the production of the short film, "A Trip Into the Movies" which Mollynook Films released earlier this year. Hear about the rapid, exciting, and chaotic, production cycle which produced a short film from a 4-day-long shooting schedule. The film is available to watch now (at mollynookfilms.com). Following the adventures of a young man whose cinema-going experience is interrupted when an evil wizard's spell pulls him into the screen, and across three short films, "A Trip into the Movies" was made in collaboration with LifeLink PSU and features its students as the cast. LifeLink is a special education program for students with disabilities between the ages of 18 to 21 who attend the State College Area School District; giving them the opportunity to take college classes at the Pennsylvania State University.

Making theater spaces more accessible for performers and spectators who have intellectual and developmental disabilities is a major focus of Mollynook’s overall mission; and will be the focus of conversation for this year’s season. The guest for this premiere episode is John McCarthy, who is the interim dean of the College of Health Sciences and Professions at Ohio University. Bridging the topics of last season (AAC — Augmentative and Alternative Communication) and this one, he discusses how AAC and music therapy can work together to achieve communication goals for their participants; and other topics related to AAC, music, and performance.

In episode 5 of Mollynook Podcasts, the focus is on Assistive Technology, or AT. Carolyn Rodier, an occupational therapist and assistive technology evaluator breaks down the wide range of what Assistive Technology is, as well as how it can be applied not just in professional or educational settings, but also for leisure, recreation, and specifically the arts. Carolyn is also the business partner of Tanika Peart (who appeared in the third episode of this season, Arts and Entertainment with AAC). Together, Carolyn and Tanika are the co-founders of ACE Innovations (aceinnovations.net) a company with the goal of providing assistive technology support for all individuals from birth to geriatrics.

Dr. Christine Holyfield brings her AAC expertise to give her own insights into how AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) can be applied to the arts-- such as live performance. The focus of this episode is on her research in the sphere of AAC, specifically on representation, or, how AAC boards utilize images and text to help their users communicate (and if there are better ways to approach representation); and her experiences with AAC and live presentations.

In this episode, Tanika Peart, the co-founder of ACE Innovations-- a company with mission of providing assistive technology solutions for individuals of all ages-- provides insight into how AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) can accommodate entertainment and artistic pursuits. Specifically, the focus of the conversation is on artistic performance; and how poetry, theater, and presentation in general, can be accommodated by AAC devices across the range of low-tech to high-tech devices. Hear about her experiences within that frame, her thoughts about adapting devices and techniques to accommodate those goals, and looking towards the future and new technologies which could make the arts even more accessible for AAC users.

American Sign Language is a complete, natural language that has the same linguistic properties as spoken languages, with grammar that differs from English. It is also considered a form of AAC, in the sense that it can be used to augment, or as an alternative communication, but it is good to remind ourselves that this is a fully-formed, rich language of its own. In this episode, two members of the Penn State Sign Language Organization, explain how ASL (American Sign Language) has been incorporated into a live theater troupe’s repertoire. The Penn State Sign Language Organization is a student run organization that consults with an academic faculty member who is skilled in American Sign Language. A key role of the Sign Language Org is teaching that group of performers the signs to specific songs, both to enrich the expression of the performers and also to promote accessibility for audience members.

For a transcription of this episode, please visit: http://mollynookfilms.com/transcripts/

With the new year comes a new season of Mollynook Podcasts! In the premiere episode of season 2, graduate student and SLP (Speech Language Pathologist) extern Kirsten comes on to discuss her experiences in the field and with AAC– augmentative or alternative communication. AAC devices can range from simple, such a person’s hands or a sheet of paper, to as complex as eye tracking technology which can be used to supplement or enhance a person’s speech.

In this special, seasonal episode of Mollynook Podcasts, all of the previous guests return to share what they've been thankful for in 2020. In such an unpredictable year, the goal of this episode is to not only bring a smile to your face, but to ask you to reflect on the moments that brought you joy as well.

In this episode, my friend Brooke and her mother Margie describe Brooke’s plans to start her own "Rachel Ray" inspired cooking series in which she'll present recipes that are tasty, healthy, and most importantly: accessible and safe for chefs who have Down syndrome. Brooke also happens to be an in-demand singer of the national anthem (and other songs) for athletic games at the local college, high school, and other events big and small around the community-- and her and her mother explain how singing and music therapy can benefit a person who has Down syndrome.

In this episode, costume designer and, possibly, the biggest fan of Friday the 13th, Dave, comes on to talk about the Friday the 13th movies-- his favorite moments and costumes, as well as show off the masks he's been recreating in his spare time. And, he gives a little insight into what designing those masks looks like.

A link to higher res images of his masks: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mk4JTipbcG_WOn84-vIF9Nd-GgrO4A8N/view?usp=sharing