John Belluso was a very talented playwright who focused his work and his writing around the lives of people with disabilities. Sadly, Mr. Belluso passed away at the young age of 36. However, the work and deeds that he left behind are notable and should be shared with others.
John Belluso was a wheelchair user and had been using a wheelchair since the age of 13. He had a very rare disease called Camurati–Engelmann disease (CED). This disease causes a variety of sensory and/or physical disabilities for those who have it. Despite having the disease, this did not stop John from writing and challenging the world about its view on people with disabilities and how they are treated. He brought attention to the way that society mistreats the disability community. He wrote from personal experience and avoided oversimplifying and glamorizing the reality of actually living with a disability. In all of his works, he was persistent in reminding the world of how capable people with disabilities are.
John Belluso obtained a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. John’s writing resulted in much success in the late 90’s when his plays were produced at varying theatres. Some of these theatres include: the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, the Magic Theater in San Francisco, the Eugene O’Neill Center in Connecticut, and the Humana Festival of New Plays in Louisville. John received several awards for his works, including the John Golden Playwriting Prize, Mark Taper Forum’s Sherwood Award for Emerging Theatre Artists, and NYU Tisch School of the Arts Dramatic Writing Program’s Graduate Playwriting Award. Although he has sadly passed on, his legacy continues to inspire those in the theatre and disability communities alike. What he stood for and what he wrote about have inspired many people to change and make a change in society.