The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 133

I he other side or paraaise. i GEORGE SEGAL: WORKS FROM THE BIBLE THROUGH JULY 25, 1997 SKIRBALL CULTURAL CENTER 2701 N. SEPULVEDA BLVD. LOS ANGELES, CA 90049 paidi9 the "shattering ofar, expec- the of what occurs. "It's the rebound from that that I think is the most important That's what I was trying to say, as simply as possible in this little love song between a mother and child." In "The Little Cuddle," which features a boy who sucks his thumb, "the idea was that so-called 'normal' children have their problems, too," Shaw said.

"It may not be obvious, but every child and adult has something to deal with. We all have baggage. Why should one thing seem so different than another?" Among the accolades the video has received are the Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence and the President's Award of the National Down Syndrome Congress. It also has been endorsed by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), one of the authors of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act However, good intentions and do-gooding don't propel this video, Shaw stressed.

"My main drive was to make it totally entertaining, so that kids sit there and laugh, then walk away without thinking that they've learned a thing. I wasn't out to teach. But if you watch this, you've got to learn." Include Tiff Hill Productions, ages 2-11, 33 minutes, (14.95. (888)462-5833. dium for him, Shaw had long been recognized for including people with disabilities in both casting and story lines in the adult action TV series on which he worked.

With the involvement of a host of professionals, from animators Kevin Petrilak and Frank Furlong, who created the spiffy '60s-style "Noah's Ark" cartoon segment, to veteran cameraman Chuck Barbee "who gave it a motion picture look" and composer Sachs who "put wings under the lyrics," the video took shape. The challenge was to not preach to kids about inclusion of peers with disabilities. "I just wanted to show it," Shaw said. Shaw also made a point of spotlighting children without discernible disabilities in some segments. One of the video's most moving and subtle moments is a lullaby sung by a mother to her baby about her hopes for his bright future.

"Every mother when she has a child has a dream of what that child will be," Shaw said. "At a certain point we all have to learn to accept the child we have, rather than the child of our expectations." What is painful sometimes, Shaw FOR INFORMATION CALL 310.440.4500 HOURS: TUESDAY-FRIDAY 10AM TO 4PM SAT NOON-5PM SUN 10AM TO 5PM CLOSED MONDAYS A Tl" Expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Gordon of Eden Friday Satu BY LYNNE HEFFLEY TiMES STAFF WRITER The first thing striking about "Include a sunny, new children's home video from TiffHill Productions, is that many of the kids who are seen at play in it have disabilities, ranging from Down's syndrome to cerebral palsy. But if you think pity or inspiration is what the film is supposed to spark in viewers, think again. Because, in watching this live-action musical romp, written and directed by veteran Hollywood writer-producer Lou Shaw, what's interesting is how soon you stop paying much attention to those disabilities. The kids on the screen are just having a blast together.

And that's the point High-quality production values and notably tuneful songs written by Shaw and professional composer Norman Sachs give the film universal appeal, and fun is the overriding spirit that carries the subtle message of acceptance and inclusion. "I hate patronization and I hate proselytizing," said Shaw, who co-produced the award-Winning video with Christy Johnson, an Iowa mother whose toddler daughter was born with Down's syndrome. "Basically what I wanted to say is that whatever you are, you are. Each person has his or her own value. We don't want pity for children with disabilities.

We just want them to have a chance at a good quality of life." In the video, which is divided into musical segments, kids go to school, and later they make music in a number called "Kitchen Band." In "Getting There," some kids take the stairs at a single bound, others use a crutch or wheelchair, and "one way or another, we all get there." Another song expresses how "A Little Cuddle" can reassure any kid, while "Noah's Ark," a creative animated segment, comically underscores the value of differences and variety. The video is the result of a chance meeting between Johnson and Shaw, who has been one of Hollywood's most established writer-producers Fall Guy," "Quincy, M.E." and and who is himself the parent of a daughter with Down's syndrome and an activist in the field. Frustrated at the lack of video entertainment for and about children with disabilities, Johnson approached Shaw at the National Down Syndrome Congress, where he was signing his book, "Honor Thy Son," about a man with Down syndrome. "She said, 'I don't know what to do, there's just nothing out there. We should do Shaw recalled.

Her plea struck a chord. "My daughter now 18 has changed my entire life, in terms of understanding and acceptance," Shaw said. "It has been the most important experience of my life." Although video was a new me- iflii BIGjMteid 7 K-llTCTAfter Bark Dance Partvf live fireworks simulcast at 9:00 p.ra.'witirdft;air personality Rick Diego! Wine meen tliejchibitllall -Included with paid atlmissionf. Thejun lasts jundl midnight' Satufdayfjurv JueenMary! :00 o.m. toIidnirlif mfcelilifliitali with fin-ahersnnalitv farnlvn Grade! I i i 7 paid admission $8 after 9:00 p.m.! I 1 7 More Bid Ne LI Don't Miss the feSl Coast premiere of Titanic: The Expedition featuring artifacts from the Hill ill-fated 1912 ocean liner.

Receive free I Queen Mary trading cards while supplies last with each general admission ticket The Bowrn Museum of Cultural Art PennawM atvbrtioai of cuxurai alt California bistay World-class changing exhibitions A gourmet restaurant A stylish store Thechildren'scenter, KIDSEUM make The Bowm a "mus-tee museum laaaarorTlkSrnMaiStfSlRi aSauAai (562) 435-3511 httpww.queenmary.com queenmrygte.net Attraction open this Friday and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 pjn. General Admission and Self-Cuided Queen Mary Tour, $12. Titanic: The Expedition. $6.

Other combination tickets, group rates and discounts for seniors, military and children also available. There is a charge for parking. 1997 RMS Foundation, IncThe Queen Mary (714)567-3600 7 Oppn everv day tat Monday 49 LOS ANGELES TIMES WEEKEND 'HI i V( THURSDAY," JULY, .3.