Regina Brink has been blind since the age of two. As a child, a 1969 episode of Lassie sparked her love for performing. 

“We don't have to add up the years,” she joked. “I was in an episode and that's where I caught the acting bug. I was actually on that TV program.”

In the years since, Brink has been part of nearly 20 productions and became the director for InnerVision Theater, a company composed of actors who are blind or low vision.

“Although there’s a little more openness to blind and low-vision audiences - a lot of audio description - it wasn't the same for artists, directors or set designers,” she said. “I thought I can't be the only blind or low vision person that loves acting and has talent.”

Brink is one of the creative forces behind this weekend’s ALL IN: The Festival of Accessible Theater in midtown Sacramento. 

In its second year, the festival features performances by, and about, people who are neurodivergent, blind, low-vision, deaf and hard-of-hearing.

“The festival will really invite audiences into the worlds of those communities,” said Jim Brown, who is the coordinator for the ALL IN festival. “This is an opportunity for somebody like me, who's able-bodied and neurotypical, to see stories told from the perspective of people who aren't like me. That's always valuable and fascinating.”

The weekend festival features three theater companies: InnerVision Theater, a neurodivergent performance from Short Center Repertory, and Theater V58—which is a transliteration of the ASL sign for “very interesting” and is a company for deaf, hard-of-hearing and fluent signing communities. 

The festival describes the productions as embracing theater without barriers, as well as exploring the ways that disability can create connections and separations in mainstream society.

“They ask us how to do it. Whether it's the ASL incorporation, or it's the audio description, or how to get the best out of the people that are neurodivergent,” Brink explained. “There is talent there. But it's figuring out how to tap into that talent. Because maybe something doesn't resonate with them the same way it would with me, right? And that's what this is all about, is finding out what works.”

The festival was initially made possible through a grant from the City of Sacramento. But the region’s investment in accessible theater goes back decades. 

The theater companies are part of the Developmental Disabilities Service Organization (DDSO). The Sacramento-based nonprofit was founded over 40 years ago as the first-of-its-kind in the nation to use visual and performing arts as a tool for teaching people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Brink joined in 2006 and her role as an artist has grown to include advocacy. She has served as a consultant to the Crocker Art Museum and currently represents the California Council of the Blind at the state Capitol. 

“We need to be part of theater. Because if we're not, then someone else tells our story,” Brink said.

The ALL IN festival takes place Friday, June 27 through Sunday, June 29 at the R25 Arts Complex at 1725 25th St in Sacramento. It is free to the public, although reservations are highly encouraged since seating is limited.