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( also referred to as mixed ability dance) as part of our storytelling vocabulary.
Community Productions The“ Wheel Voices” projects are similar to a collective theatre company within a company, with work often devised and performed by artists who identify as living with disabilities. Though there are variations in the cast, they often remain for multiple successive” Wheel Voices” shows, giving these community-based performances an identity of their own and the feeling of an ensemble company. A variety of material under a unifying thematic link is usually presented, such as:
COMEDY ON WHEELS with a stand-up comedic bent
SEXY VOICES a burlesque-type show focusing on disability and sexuality
WHEEL VOICES: TUNE IN!, their most recent, which is framed as a musical variety show encompassing material ranging from original musical numbers, emotional poetic monologues to TV-styled comedic sketches. The“ Wheel Voices” productions are themed under a common banner but they are representative of the ideas, writing and performances of the wide variety of participants. These are then shaped by a supportive, creative team into cohesive productions.
Audience Experiences Realwheels is interested in creating professional world class art that stands up against any other theatre companies.“ Although since inception Realwheels has always been a haven for artists who identify with a disability, we are crafting inclusionary integrated productions that reflect the reality of the world around us, both on and back-stage,” Mureika said.
“ With 25 % of Canadians identifying as living with a disability and that number only poised to grow, Realwheels wishes to create barrier-breaking productions that represent this population – and stage a wide variety of shows where disability need not be the driving conflict of the story, but rather, forms the landscape on which universal themes are debated on stage.”
Their interest is in creating unique, multi-media audience experiences, incorporating cutting-edge digital and streaming technology alongside inventive stagecraft while supporting the human element and the power of the written word. The theatre’ s goal is to create entertaining and exciting new productions which audiences would be thinking about and discussing long after the house lights have gone up. The integration of digital and streaming projects also greatly increase accessibility and reach to new and existing audiences and more inclusive demographics. These core values were set out in Realwheels’ founder and first Artistic Director, James Sanders’ official mandate for the company.
Actors with a disability and their role in raising awareness Raising awareness may not always be possible. This is dependent on the roles performers with disabilities are given and the intent of that casting. Compare and contrast Michael J. Fox in“ The Good Wife” and Alan Alda in“ Marriage Story.” Both actors play lawyers in these dramatic works. Both actors are actually living with Parkinson’ s Disorder( PD) and are outspoken advocates for awareness of the cause.
In his role, Fox uses his Parkinson’ s symptoms to deconstruct negative preconceptions about PD to his advantage, by focusing on his symptoms as deliberate character traits, which, based on how his character has been scripted, he utilizes as an actor’ s tool to define the character, manipulate and intelligently outwit his legal rivals. He effectively uses his PD as a“ secret power” to best his opponents by using their
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