An Update from Realwheels Theatre

Dear Inclusive Theatre Lovers and Followers of Realwheels Society,

We hope you are well and doing your best to stay healthy while practicing physical distancing.

Today, on World Theatre Day, when theatres across Canada are dark, we reflect on one of the big changes in this new reality: Our ability to remain connected.

While current circumstances prevent us from producing Wheel Voices: Tune In! this season, our incredibly talented community participants have mad a seamless transition to developing stories and song through remote communications.

We’re grateful to our amazing artist facilitators led by Shawn MacDonald and Caitriona Murphy. With their support, community participants are continuing to collaborate toward a powerful, funny, and moving production next season.

Our Participatory Technology project now seems strangely prescient. In addition to incorporating Zoom video conferencing into our community activity at its earliest phase, a committed team from the Centre for Digital Media (CDM) is also building an accessible website for tracking and sharing information to support the development of theatre projects inclusive of remote participants.

While physical health is our utmost priority, we’re also sensitive to concerns around social isolation. We thrive on the relationships we build with our community and we’re grateful for communication tools that provide new opportunities to remain connected.

  • We continue developing Disability Tour Bus, a new professional project that’ll blur the lines between professional and community theatre while taking you for a wild ride.
  • We continue developing GIMPY: The Musical with Toronto-based Playwright in Residence Kirsten Kirsch, and dramaturges Lynna Goldhar and Susinn McFarlan.
  • We continue to progress toward the launch of Realwheels Acting Academy, a new actor training program for persons with disabilities.

Creativity and ingenuity are weaved through daily life for many for persons with disability. As one of our Board members pointed out: “We often need to think through the daily steps of our life and be planful about it”.  Imagination, resilience, creativity, ‘planfulness’ . . . just to name a few.

Theatre is a vital, communal art form that relies on connection between artist and audience. Let’s flatten the COVID-19 curve, and together we can look forward to sharing fresh new work next season.

With love,

Rena, Cadence, & Winnie