and used a wheelchair. He believed that disability created a perfect mindset for a person to have a yearning to make theatre - as someone who is often looked at and scrutinized by society, he felt that it was a natural feeling for a person to want to turn that mirror back on society, and he chose to do so by creating theatre. The Rules of Charity, like most of Belluso's work, explores what it means to be disabled or marginalized in modern American society. Belluso was an advocate for writers, playwrights, and artists with disabilities, and used his own personal experience to deepen and drive his own work. As a young playwright, John Belluso worked with the New Dramatists, connecting with his fellow contemporary playwrights (for example, the playwright Tony Kushner) and making an impression during his unfortunately short career that impacted many. Production History Premiere Production The premiere production of The Rules of Charity opened on April 23, 2005, at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco, California. The production was directed by Chris Smith and featured Arwen Anderson, Gabriel Marin, David Warren Keith, Andrew Hurteau, and Sally Clawson. Off-Broadway Production The Off-Broadway production of The Rules of Charity ran from May 26, 2007, to July 24, 2007. It was presented by Theatre by the Blind at the Lion Theatre in New York, New York. The production was directed by Ike Schambelan and featured Gregg Mozgala, Christopher Hurt, Pamela Sabaugh, Brian Bielawski, Nicholas Viselli, Hollis Hamilton, and George Ashiotis. Casts Note: For accessibility reasons, the Off-Broadway production also included an unseen narrator played by Gregg Mozgala. See also Theatre and disability Disability in the arts References American plays Off-Broadway plays Plays and musicals about disability 2005 plays