Welcome to the NYTW Blog—a resource for behind-the-scenes insights on our productions, share-outs from the classroom penned by teaching artists, community partner spotlights, and a peek behind the curtain to see how work gets made at NYTW.

Access Dramaturgy and My Joy is Heavy: A Conversation with Alison Kopit

For MY JOY IS HEAVY here at NYTW, access has been woven into both the fabric of the piece itself and the audience experience of the production. From open captions projected onto a dedicated section of the set design to various affinity nights and to technical choices to make every show a relaxed performance, these intentional decisions are the result of many conversations between The Bengsons, the creative team, NYTW staff, and access dramaturg Alison Kopit.

Alison took some time a couple weeks before tech rehearsals began to tell me about her story of developing the practice of access dramaturgy, as well as her work on My Joy is Heavy.

March 11, 2026 by Marty Chandler