Bucknell to host actress, disability advocate Marissa Bode on April 20

Bucknell University will bring actor and disability advocate Marissa Bode to Lewisburg for a conversation built around one of the biggest movie franchises of the decade and the push for more authentic disability representation on screen. Bode, who became the first wheelchair user to portray Nessarose Thropp in the Wicked films, will appear Monday, April 20, at 7 p.m. in the Weis Center for the Performing Arts.

The event will be a moderated discussion rather than a solo lecture, pairing Bode with Bucknell student Krystin Ipina, a 2026 animal behavior major. It is sponsored by the Bucknell Student Lectureship Committee, which the university says brings in a speaker each year to engage students, faculty, staff and community members in timely and meaningful conversations. Dean of Student Life Erin Paschal said the committee is especially excited to welcome Bode because her work and advocacy offer an important and inspiring perspective for the campus community.

Bode has been acting since age 8 and trained at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Bucknell says her appearance will center not only on her career, but also on the larger issue of how entertainment shapes public understanding of disability. That makes the lecture especially relevant at a time when the conversation around casting has widened beyond representation alone to include access, authenticity and the lived experience of disabled performers.

The Wicked connection gives the event instant name recognition. Bucknell identifies the films as directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang, Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh. Bode’s role has drawn attention well beyond campus because she has been widely recognized for advocating authentic disability representation in Hollywood and for speaking publicly about accessibility and inclusion.

The Weis Center has presented world-class artists to Bucknell University and Central Pennsylvania audiences for more than 35 years, and the April 20 program fits that long-running role as a regional draw. Tickets will be free for Bucknell students, faculty and staff. The first 200 tickets for the general public will be available beginning at 6 p.m. that evening at the Weis Center box office, giving Lewisburg and the broader Union County community a chance to hear directly from one of the most visible new voices in disability advocacy.