To Table of Contents integrated casting -- a Realwheels priority !” Mureika shared . “ Why can ’ t the part of the brilliant lawyer – or any other role , for that matter – be played by an actor with a disability ? It is all about breaking down barriers so our artistic world represents the one in which we live … again , a Realwheels priority !”
Inclusive theatre and its contribution to community integration At Realwheels , the goal is to continually expand audiences and demographics so there is ultimately no perceived barrier between ‘ disability theatre ’ and ‘ theatre ’. Barriers are continually broken , making quality art compatible with any other theatre company . They aim to tell all types of stories in brand new and exciting ways – stories that have universal themes and ideas about the human experience , which will entertain and reach the broadest possible audiences and leave them thinking long after the shows are over . “ Inclusionary integration is a huge part of that . If we can bring in increasingly inclusionary and integrated audiences to our integrated productions , we will have accomplished something essential at the societal level .” Mureika said .
Opportunities for artists with disabilities Until now , professional theatre has largely viewed accessibility from the standpoint of the audience member and mostly limited to physical disability ; ensuring there is space for a wheelchair in the audience , for example . In the past couple years , this has been changed to incorporate more accessibility for audience members with disabilities such as providing audio-described performances for blind audience members , or relaxed performers for those that are neurodiverse .
Opportunities for artists with disabilities to be on stage in productions has been next to none , until recently . This is for 3 reasons :
1 ) Professional theatre companies pigeon-hole artists with disabilities . Directors typically cast an actor with a disability in a disability role but very rarely will it be done the other way around . And of course , the number of shows with characters with disabilities are also extremely limited ! Usually used as a token to instill audience pity or fear . For example , Shakespeare ' s Richard the III or Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens A in Christmas Carol
2 ) Professional theatre companies are unaware of how to accommodate artists with disabilities . Traditional theatres normally run for long 10 – 12- hour days , six days a week . With such schedules , this can be a huge barrier for artists with disabilities who face issues with stamina , pain or other such issues .
3 ) Artists with disabilities have not had professional actor training made available to them . This is due to traditional methods of actor training and the inaccessibility and rigidity of the academic institutions and curriculums .
Realwheels has been working on all these areas but now , most significantly , in their new professional-calibre , three-year actor training program which will be launched in September 2021 . This will be the first of its kind in Western Canada . Details can be found here :
realwheels . ca / academy /
Covid ’ s Impact Due to provincial guidelines with all arts and cultural performances having to remain closed , all programming has been online since mid-March 2020 . In the last year Realwheels delivered :
• a playwriting workshop and public reading online
• completed a playwrightin-residency program culminating in a livestreamed reading of the playwright ’ s work
• wrote , rehearsed , recorded , and live-streamed a musical based on the stories and lives of 14 community artists living with a disability . eels attempt to preserve the event- level mystique of live theater during the era of Covid .