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When Your Wheelchair Clashes with the Director’s Vision
How my teachers put the “authenticity” of their show over my safety and comfort.
A great deal of my high school experience was spent in the theater department. With six shows a year and rehearsals every day after school plus Saturdays, I basically lived in the auditorium. I didn’t go to parties, didn’t go to sporting events, didn’t join other clubs.
Theater was my whole life. And I loved it.
I loved performing. I loved watching a show go from a bunch of people reading from scripts to a full-blown production. I loved hanging out backstage. Most of all, I loved the process of making the show.
Our directors, however, didn’t like having me in shows. Beyond the logistical nightmare of taking me on field trips for our competition and traveling shows, the directors often found that I didn’t mesh with their vision for the show.
More specifically, my wheelchair didn’t fit with their vision.
High school theater directors are not very creative when it comes to show selection. They tend to choose a lot of Shakespeare, Moliere, Arthur Miller, and anything Greek. If you can put the play into a different time period (ex. Shakespeare, but Vaudeville), it’s even better. Late 19th to mid…
