RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab 2024
Sandrene Mathews
A former child actor, Sandrene Mathews has spent most of her life in the creative world. Often told she was too shy to be in the entertainment industry, she repeatedly silenced and astonished naysayers with lead roles on stage and on screen in her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. She also competed in and won a variety of vocalist, instrumentalist, and dance competitions. By the time she graduated high school, she was a multiple-published author of short stories and poetry.
Sandrene’s love of everything about the creative process led her to take on more behind-the-scenes roles. Over the years, she has been a director, editor, stage manager, photographer, cinematographer, and monitor engineer.
Eager to return to her storytelling roots, Sandrene now focuses on writing and directing, with a strong passion for creating characters struggling to be seen, and focusing on emotionally charged themes of personal growth, becoming your best self and rising to do extraordinary things. She writes coming-of-age stories with grown-ups because even as adults, we’re still figuring out life. Her projects feature nuanced characters with heart and a little bit of sass, all while normalizing discussions about mental health.
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After an extensive search and interview process, 5 individuals were invited to participate in an intensive session for disabled drama writers, taking place June 20-28, with additional virtual sessions taking place in partnership with the virtual cohort, May – September 2024. Participants include people with a variety of disabilities ranging in age from the 20s through the 40s. This intensive elevates disabled creatives, focusing on building community, networking, and career advancement. This intensive is in collaboration with ABC Entertainment.
