Seesaw Theatre will be hosting a onetime screening of A.B.L.E. Ensemble’s THE SPY WHO KNEW ME.

In THE SPY WHO KNEW ME, an ensemble cast of 20 actors with Down syndrome collaborated with a professional film crew and teaching artists to create a unique riff on the classic spy-adventure genre epitomized by James Bond. THE SPY WHO KNEW ME follows Tabitha Link as she and her fellow spies race to find the connections between a series of jewel heists, a top-secret military experiment, and several missing operatives.

A.B.L.E. co-founder and film director Lawrence Kern crafted the screenplay with each actor’s individual strengths and personality in mind. Kern also incorporated monologues the cast wrote themselves about who they are, what they love, and what they can do. The story celebrates differences and stresses the importance of holding onto what makes us unique. “People are more than one thing,” Tabitha reminds us. “A world where everyone’s the same isn’t worth living in.”

A number of local artists and organizations worked together to support the ensemble. Cast and crew filmed at various locations around the city including The Field Museum, Fey & Co. Jewelers, The Union League Club, The Lincoln Park Zoo, and more. The spies drove cars and flew jetpacks using the green screen facilities at Space Stage Studios. Daufenbach Camera provided cameras and lighting equipment and recent Jeff Award-nominee Brock Alter designed visual effects. The movie also features an original score by Chicago-based musician Alex Sokol and Grammy-nominated composer and producer Carlos Villalobos, Jr., who is best known for his work on the Fox series EMPIRE.

Seesaw Theatre’s screening event is a culmination of THE SPY WHO KNEW ME’s tour. The tour has included screenings at Chicago schools and community centers, as well as local and international film festivals, in an effort to show audiences what individuals with Down syndrome can do when they are given equal access to creative opportunities.