The Short Center Repertory began in 1988 when actor James C. Anderson was given a CAC artistic residency to train actors with developmental disabilities at The Short Center and present live plays in local Sacramento theaters. The CAC continued its support with 9 subsequent residencies and a number of project grants culminating with a 2023 24 grant using all inclusive theater to explore various communities of disability.
DDSO received its first Cultural Arts Award in 1995 for its visual and preforming arts training for adults with developmental disabilities in the greater Sacramento area. DDSO has been honored with a Cultural Arts Award each year since.The Short Center repertory has been awarded a 2023-24 grant to explore the effects of climate change on communities of disability.
In 2021 the County of Sacramento awarded DDSO a grant to support the development of a total inclusion performance project by Short Center Repertory, A Clown Odyssey that integrated actors with cognitive and developmental disabilities with actors who are blind or low vision and actors who are deaf or hard of hearing. Due to the covid pandemic the project was adapted to Zoom resulting in a new and creative performance style. In 2023-24 with the generous support of Transient Occupancy Tax DDSO was awarded a grant to develop new performance initiatives for the Blind low vision and Deaf hard of hearing communities.
The National Arts and Disability Center has been the premiere supporter of Artist with disabilities since 1990. They sponsored the first International Festival of Art and Disability, bring together Arts from all over the World. The Short Center Repertory was privileged to be chosen to participate. Thoughout its existence NADC has supported individual artists and groups with small grants to support Artist with disabilities in their career development. SCRep. received a grant in 2021 to provide American Sign Language interpreters to facilitate the inclusion of deft performers.
DDSO received grants from the National Endowment of the Arts to support development of its theater outreach project: The Short Center Repertory, and Virtual Feast: its online visual arts website and exhibition space. In 2013 Short Center Repertory. received a three year grant to explore connections in the experiences of social exclusion as experienced by the homeless and the disability communities.This project funded a tour of homeless programs featuring interactive performances and workshops.
In 2023 SMUD sponsored a collaboration between the ACB Capital Chapter of the California Council of the Blind and the Short Center Repertory to produce a staged version of their adaption of a short story by H.G. Wells: "The Country of the Blind". Ten blind or low vision actors performed it as an old time radio show before a live audience at California Stage
opening on White Cane Awareness Day, October 15. 2022