James Scarborough Interview:  Maria Fagan Hassani’s Solo-show “Atypical Grace”

Directed by Heather Dowling at Hollywood Fringe ’25 (Published with permission of What the Butler Saw)

In the intimate setting of The Zephyr Theatre, Maria Fagan Hassani becomes Marilynn, an educational therapist whose weekly support group reveals struggle, resilience, and unexpected connection. “Atypical Grace” avoids the tearful sentimentality that often spoils single-performer shows about disability, instead offering a clear-eyed look at how learning differences affect entire families.

Hassani’s performance works on two levels: as Marilynn, she guides and participates, helping parents face their children’s challenges while confronting her own unresolved issues. The narrative cleverly mirrors therapy itself – circular rather than linear – where small revelations rather than dramatic breakthroughs mark progress. Fagan Hassani draws from her experience as an educational therapist to create authentic characters, avoiding both caricature and condescension.

What distinguishes “Atypical Grace” is its refusal to offer easy answers. The production acknowledges that raising children with learning disabilities involves frustration and doubt alongside unexpected joy. Under Heather Dowling’s direction, the show shifts fluidly between perspectives, creating a rich narrative that honors these families’ complex experiences while maintaining coherence. The result is a production that informs without preaching and touches without manipulating—a delicate balance rarely achieved in issue-driven theater.

Below follows an email conversation with Maria Fagan Hassani.

JS: Your show presents multiple parent perspectives rather than focusing on a single child’s story. What guided this structural choice? How did you ensure each perspective received proper development within a one-hour format?

MFH: First, it was important to me as an educator that parents with children who struggle with learning see themselves represented in the show. Second, I wanted those who have not encountered learning disabilities to begin to experience the diverse world that it truly is.. I also wanted allied professionals, those who work with our families, to see themselves reflected as an integral part of the story being told onstage. Even though it can seem like it at times, we are not alone.

Having the opportunity to cull and curate a variety of parental perspectives from my years in private practice as a board-certified educational therapist (BCET) allowed me as a writer, performer, and educator to provide accurate depictions of a wide array of learning challenges. My show is by no means a comprehensive study of all learning disabilities, but rather it serves as an introduction for many and a reflection for most.

JS: As both an educational therapist and performer, how did you navigate the line between clinical accuracy and creating dramatically compelling characters that avoid becoming mere archetypes or teaching tools?

MFH: To be totally candid, navigating this line was very challenging. This show is intended to be ‘edutainment.’ In other words, it takes the audience on an entertaining and enlightening journey while also educating them about the world of learning disabilities. Luckily, I had the opportunity to do a virtual reading of the script when I initially wrote it back in 2023. This provided initial feedback from a close and trusted group of friends and colleagues about what in the show was distracting or needed further clarification.

I was also able to do one performance of Atypical Grace back in December 2024 at the Soaring Solo Stars Festival. I had a number of educators, parents, and allied professionals attend the show. Their feedback was integral to further improving the show ahead of its Hollywood Fringe Festival premiere.

Finding beauty in difference.

JS: The show’s title, “Atypical Grace,” suggests finding beauty in difference. Could you elaborate on specific moments in the production where this theme appears most powerfully?

MFH: It shows up most vividly between the facilitator of the group, Marilynn, and her daughter, Larissa. They have had a problematic relationship and generational history to unravel. As Marilynn does the work to forgive herself for her past actions (or lack thereof), she starts to extend grace to her daughter. Through this process, they both finally begin to heal their relationship.

Also, each of the parents finds moments throughout the 60-minute journey of the show when they realize they are likely being too hard on themselves or their children. They realize that it’s critical to release the parental reins a bit, step back, and re-evaluate the bigger picture of their journey.

For example, one of the characters, the father of a son who is autistic, has to reimagine what it means to be a parent to his son. He had always pictured parenting together with his partner, but life threw him a curveball. Another character, a mother to a fourth-grade boy, comes to terms with how she has compensated in the most productive way! to overcome her challenges with reading and managing life. Their worlds are full of differences, and it’s magical in how each character deals with their life circumstances.

JS: Solo performances often rely on minimal technical elements to support the storytelling. How did lighting, sound design, and your use of space contribute to differentiating between characters and settings in “Atypical Grace”? Which technical choices were most effective in this intimate venue?

MFH: My director, Heather, and I chose to keep it very simple. There is very little use of props, if any. We utilize a few slides to suggest location; however, since this is an intimate story of the characters’ lives, it was essential to keep the space safe to have these types of conversations.

With the focus on the struggle and the interactions of the characters, the audience is free to engage with each character more fully.

JS: Your director, Heather Dowling, has significant experience with solo performance. How did her guidance shape your approach to embodying multiple characters? What specific techniques helped distinguish each voice?

Read the full interview at What the Butler Saw by James Scarborough

Performances are June 7th at 5:45 PM (with post-show talk back), June 22nd at 4:00 PM, and June 27th at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $15. The Zephyr Theatre is located at 7456 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood. For more information, click here.