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Joseph Chaikin
founded the Open Theater in 1963, one of the most influential theater
groups in the United States. A six-time Obie Award recipient, among
numerous awards, Joe is considered one of the worlds most influential
theater directors. In 1984 he experienced a stroke during heart surgery
and was born to the world of aphasia. During his recovery process,
he collaborated with Jean-Claude van Itallie on "Struck Dumb,"
an internal monologue. The central character is ADNAN, born in Lebanon,
but now living in Venice, California. A former opera singer, ADNAN
becomes aphasic and is reborn to language and the world. Joe has performed
this piece numerous times, including at "Faces Aphasia"
at Boston University in February, 2000. He continued to direct, most
recently Sam Shepherd's play "The Late Henry Moss."
Joseph Chaikin passed away in September, 2003.
The Aphasia Community Group of Boston meets monthly at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. For more information contact Jerome Kaplan at 617 499-5011 or the manager of speech-language pathology at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital: 617 573-2462.
The National Aphasia Association 2006 Aphasia Conference will be held at Boston University's Sargent College in June, 2006. For more information, contact Sargent College School of Communication Disorders.
For more information about aphasia, go to the National Aphasia Association's website:
www.aphasia.org
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