These shows are not about being disabled: People are just people and we just want to show what regular people are up to,’ creator of Spine says
Spine is about a guy going through a midlife crisis. Rick is about a teenager who likes to fish. Spatial Theory is about the diverse influences on an artist.
They are not, their creators stress, about being disabled.
The Paralympic Games begin tomorrow, and art exploring the disability experience is very much in evidence in Vancouver’s continuing Cultural Olympiad. But the people behind these shows say it is essential that the physical challenges of the protagonists, stars and/or creators do not overwhelm the subject matter of the works.
“We have disabilities, but it’s just a landscape,” says James Sanders, 39, the Maple Ridge, B.C., resident who stars in Spine and collaborated on its creation.
“There’s two characters with disabilities in this show and yet my character’s really not interested in his disability; that’s not his problem,” says Sanders, who is quadriplegic. “It’s the fact that he realizes he’s getting old; he didn’t have his shit together relationship-wise.”
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.