4 Community theatre creates opportunity South Vancouver program helps people with developmental disabilities explore theatre By CHERYL WHITING Vancouver theatre company is [diciine students with develop- ental disabilities find confi- dence in themselves. The program is held at Moberly Arts and Cultural Centre, where Don Hardy has been the program instructor for the Vancouver Adapted Theatre Company for six years. He teaches along side Gordon Clark. Hardy and Clark, both musical ther- apists, work with a team of staff to help students with developmental disabili- ties write, rehearse, and choreograph a 45 minute theatre production. The work culminates in a final performance next May. “We use projected imagery for the sets, so we do some filmmaking as well as the live the- atre,” Hardy said. “Tt’s a real hands on experience for the kids, and ev- eryone works to their own ability.” Hardy said that the personal bene- DON HARDY fits for students Vancouver are enormous, and Adapted Theatre does not rule out instructor future career op- portunities for par- ticipants. “T can point to lots of kids who have come through the program and discov- ered other things they can do because they have really built confidence,” Har- dy said. “TThat includes] going to college and stuff like that, that wasn’t in the cards for them before,” he said. Susanna Uchatius is the artistic di- rector of Theatre Terrific, a company for people over 20. Uchatius cautions people against expecting less from those living with disabilities. “T find it highly disrespectful,” she said. “The assumption being made that we won't do this because we can’t ex- pect [people with disabilities] to even make a go of it,” she said. Hardy said, “It’s all about building confidence and really feeling good about yourself.” Hardy and Clark both work out of MTC Studio in Burnaby, a company specializing in musical therapy. The Vancouver Adapted Theatre Company runs every Thursday eve- ning and is currently accepting regis- trations through the Sunset Communi- ty Centre Association website. SUBMITTED photo Hardy playing piano for students at Windermere Secondary School. BONNIE LEE LA MADELEINE photo Aaron Nelson-Moody demonstrating how he uses a curved blade at the Reconciliation Carving Series on Oct. 7 at Langara College. Carving Series helps healing Reconciliation art program creates a safe space for those involved By BONNIE LEE LA MADELEINE new program at Langara focus- es on building — traditions through storytelling and carv- ing that sustain connections across generations. The Reconciliation Carving Series, a new program at Langara College, fo- cuses on personal healing and growth. The series creates space for personal journeys for all involved, as they think about how art and culture contribute to one’s understanding of place and iden- tity. It is open to indigenous and non-in- digenous students, and consists of two carving courses and one research por- tion. “The art is just one aspect of what we do,” said Coast Salish carver Aaron Nelson-Moody, speaking about his craft and its role in the Squamish Nation. “It’s sort of our version of written his- tory.” Nelson-Moody is an instructor for the course. Garwin Sanford is an instructor from the film arts program who is doc- umenting the students’ and course’s progressions. “My question, as a privileged, old, white guy, was: what does reconcilia- tion mean to me,” he said, but as stu- dents began sharing stories of residen- tial school crimes and working out their feelings, his expectations changed. “What you hope for,” he said, “is that you can actually move closer to natsu- mat.” Sanford said the word means “we are one”, but others in the class said Elder Shane Point defines the word a little differently. Point volunteers his time each Fri- day with the group, and defines the word as “we're in this together”. Natsu- mat has no precise English spelling outside of the Coast Salish spelling. “We’re reaching a process, which is what I am after,” Nelson-Moody said. = “Tt’s being part of a continuum of carv- ing and ceremony that has been going on for 12,000 years here.” Sanford is hoping that when people ABOUT the series |_| Students will collaborate on two reconciliaton house boards The boards will be displayed at an outdoor Aboriginal space on Langara campus see the documentary they will say, “Oh, we can do that.” The Reconciliation Carving Series is a collaborative offering of the Aborigi- nal Studies, fine arts and film arts pro- grams. Their studio, room A045, is open to HM The carving series includes two fine arts courses, and one aboriginal studies course Source: Langara College website the public every Friday afternoon. Alum puts new spin on 1991 AIDS play Distinguished director revitalizes play set in the 1980s for Studio 58 stage By CLARE HENNIG 58’s current production, Angels in America, said that her success in the theatre industry snowballed from her time in the program. Peake worked with Studio 58 stu- dents during the past month to bring the play to the stage from Sept. 29 to Oct. 16. The play follows two young couples and their struggles during the 1980s AIDS epidemic in New York City. Peake graduated in 2006, and has since directed two plays at the school. She attributes her success to the pro- gram. “This is an actor-driven event and because Studio 58 is a active training program, I really took that to heart,” she said. Peake said the issues depicted in the play are still relevant. “T think [the] case of people trying to find a way to fit into a society that’s R=: Peake, the director of Studio fragmented is very present nowadays,” Peake said in a Skype interview. “It’s certainly something that Don- ald Trump has preyed upon in his cam- paign,” Peake said. “AIDS is not the death sentence that it was back then,” she said. “However, we're still seeing the gay community be marginalized and attacked in various ways.” Elizabeth Barrett, a third-year stu- dent who plays the lead character, said she appreciated the creative freedom the cast was given with their roles. “Tt’s incredibly important to be given the license to try things on stage and to explore,” said Barrett. Barrett said the way Peake directed allowed the cast to explore their char- acters, despite a generational gap. “TPeake] encouraged us to not only research the era but also delve into the details,” she said. Peake is in Washington, D.C., work- ing on her next production, Clickable. 66 We're still seeing the gay com- munity be marginal- ized and attacked in various ways RACHEL PEAKE STUDIO 58 GRADUATE SUBMITTED photo Rachel Peake directed AIDS play.