Eileen is likely to lose Emily and is having to pack up her things which will be picked up by social workers as Emily is going into foster care. As the two women reflect on their shared experiences the image of Brian (wherever he is in the world) appears and he expresses his true hatred for Emily and everything she represents to him. Blanka then returns, having spent all the money that Brian originally paid her to not go to the police. In an emotional outburst, she convinces Eileen to listen to some of Emily's poems which is the last thing the audience hears as the lights go out. They hear a robotic communication board voice slowly becoming the voice of a little girl. Past productions Produced by the New Theatre at The Roxy Performing Arts Center in Florida and directed by Rickey J. Martinez. Presented by Theatre Breaking Through Barriers at the Kirk Theater in New York, NY in 2009 and directed by Ike Schambelan. Produced by Dramatic Repertory Company at Portland Stage Studio Theater in Maine in 2012 and directed by Whitney Smith. Augmented communication In some cases of cerebral palsy, the damage is so severe it affects the person's speech and language abilities. While they may be able to have complex thoughts and ideas, their muscles and vocal chords are unable to form the words that they are trying to express. Augmented forms of communication can vary greatly and include non-technology picture boards, text boards and digitized speech. In A Nervous Smile, we see the two different ends of the augmented communication spectrum, with Dominic possessing a basic communication board and Emily having both an advanced wheelchair and advanced augmented communication that can provide a voice, save things she's said, and predict what she will say. See also The Cripple of Inishmaan Sunrise at Campobello (play) Whose Life Is It Anyway? (play) The Glass Menagerie References Works about cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes Plays and musicals about disability 2005 plays