Dreamstreet Theatre Company

DreamStreet Theatre Company was founded by the late Karuna Thompson Heisler, a social worker, performing artist, mother, wife, and dear friend. Karuna grew up with an older brother who was a dancer, an actor, and a gay man living with Down’s Syndrome. It was the 1950s and her brother Jimmy Thompson was institutionalized, without a platform to express himself, create art, advocate for and represent himself, onstage or off. Karuna carried her brother’s dreams with her as the inspiration for DreamStreet. While working at the Young Adult Institute, Karuna saw that individuals with disabilities have limited access to much-needed services. She sought to change that by bringing accessible theatre and creative arts spaces and opportunities to people with developmental disabilities.