Changing Lives Performs at the Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired

by Nitra Gutierrez, Middle School and High School Program Associate

Touring a performance with the Changing Lives Youth Theatre Ensemble is a unique experience. Each new stage means a new set of blocking adjustments for the cast. Every new space requires a different amount of vocal energy from each actor as we strive to be heard. The biggest variable is always the audience. Some school day performances have a frenetic energy, an excitement that lingers in the air and says, “It’s awesome that we don’t have to go to sixth period!” At the Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, there is always one certainty – that our students will have one of the most engaged, energized audiences that we meet all year.

The Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired (TSBVI) is a public school that serves students ages 6-21 who are blind, visually impaired or have additional disabilities. Some students are from the Austin area, while others live in dorms on campus and visit family across the state on weekends and holidays. The school culture there is inclusive, empowering and welcoming to guest performers like our ensemble.

Theatre is a highly visual medium and every year people ask me if we make adaptations to our show for the TSBVI audience. While we may make tiny modifications to dialogue for clarity, adding subtle clues about the stage action, we find that TSBVI audiences are super-attentive and need very few modifications to stay invested in the story. From the stage we catch an occasional whisper from a blind student as they ask their sighted companion to describe a piece of action but without skipping a beat they jump right back into the story, ‘ohh-ing and aah-ing’ as the drama unfolds.

The attention these student audiences give to detail and the overall themes of the show becomes apparent as we engage in the post show talkback. This year, we are assisted by TSBVI student and Changing Lives Alum, Jory Freeman who helps us by calling on students by name as they raise their hands to respond to our play, Outside the Box. We ask, “Are stereotypes harmful?” Many students raise their hands to answer, “It can be hard to hear the judgments people make about you because over time, you can start to believe them.” Another student comments, “But they are just words – they only have power over you if you let them.” A third student raises his hand and asks, “Can I come up and meet y’all?”

After the talkback, TSBVI students rush the stage to meet our ensemble members. They ask questions about the characters, ask where the students go to school, ask if they like the same bands and TV shows, ask if they can become Facebook friends, some kids even ask for autographs. Our students leave this performance with renewed confidence and commitment to their work. Changing Lives’ visits to TSBVI always remind us that our work together resonates with the community and has an impact that can only be measured by our experiences together. Thank you, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired for being such gracious hosts and exemplary audience.

P.S. My favorite hairstyle is Peg Bundy’s from Married with Children. See you at TAP’s Big Hair Country Fair on March 24th at the Salt Lick Pavilion! To buy tickets visit: TAP Big Hair. Proceeds benefit Theatre Action Project.

My Top 11 TAP Memories as I Depart

by Dustin Wills, Programming Specialist

11.Lindsey, the “fake” volunteer: I have an alter ego at the Theatre Action Project office, who is Lindsey, one of the most troublesome volunteers you could ever imagine. She is overzealous, always lost and enjoys leaving ten minute messages on the TAP voicemail, most of which are her accidentally forgetting to hang up. Poor Megan Fullen received the bulk of this whim.

10. Karaoke at the Christmas party: Particular highlights include Natalie Goodnow stealing Peter’s microphone and singing the Thong Song, Amanda Hashagen’s rendition of White Rabbit and of course Sarah Rinner bringing her own copy of WHAM’s Last Christmas.

 9. Piano Time: Some very nice person donated an old turn of the century player piano to TAP, with scrolls of old music. Thus began a sometime tradition of the staff gathering around to sing old lauds from yesteryear. It also ended up in a play I directed – which is also when we tuned it.

8. Taking students to the Globe theatre replica: I had the pleasure of taking students from Copperfield Elementary to the Globe Theatre replica in Austin, where they put on a performance of the storm form Twelfth Night. It was the perfect culminating event for a great first semester at that campus.

7. The Revenge: Many may not know that until recently TAP had a kickball team called the Revenge. The Revenge was well named because we never won, so, were always on the revenge. Who could forget Sarah’s infamous Sasquatch armbands, Red Fox’s actual red fox shirt and Julia Smith’s scream of terror running down the first base line?

6. Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed/PTO Conference in Omaha: An incident with the tiny bicycle. And of course, listening to Augusto Boal speak.

5. TAP-ABS or Friday Beyonce dance party: For about 1 month we had a weekly workout regime here at TAP that involved crunches, push-ups and a Flashdance. This fizzled away quickly but was replaced by a Friday Beyonce office dance party – usually to Single Ladies. Staying active!

4. Parades, in general: I have collaborated closely with Karen on 2 First Night parades, 2 Summer processions and a Pageant play about the Life of Cesar Chavez. Planning such large-scale community projects is sometimes frustrating, demanding and overwhelming, but is always rewarding and fun. Lots of late night puppet making with Karen – sometimes so late the delirium kicks in and you begin to wonder if there is a carbon monoxide leak… lots of lifting and sweating and corralling and running up and down parade lines. A great time, to say the least.

3. Seeing the Cycle 4 and 6 students grow up: For 4 years I have worked primarily with 6 schools: T.A. Brown, Wooldridge, Hart, Barrington, Wooten and Reilly – I have watched these kids mature from 1^st to 5^th grade through our after-school program, from our First Night and Summer Pageants and in our touring programs like Heroes and The Courage to Stand. I am frequently amazed by their growth into strong creative individuals who hold TAP values as their own. These are testaments to the impact TAP has over time.

2. Daily Face -2-Face time with Florinda Bryant: Florinda and I tend to sit facing each other in the office, slightly obscured by a computer screen or a file cabinet – no matter which room of the office we move into. I think that is because of our one-shot faces. I have practically memorized Florinda’s facial expressions, like the face on a barometer. One look can make me burst into laughter or immediately leave the room. I like to think she can read mine too… and if she can’t, she can always tell by the number of empty coffee cups on my desk. This office time also included lots of singing, secret messages, G-chats, and raising a child together (or we like to pretend)…

1. Courage to Stand at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired: This was by far the most rewarding singular moment for me at TAP. The courage offered by these students in the context of this program left me speechless. Karen later created a way for me to return to the TSBVI to teach an in school theatre program with the Elementary students. Every week I was inspired by these students and was taught volumes about ability, strength and the limitless potential of the imagination. I could not thank those kids more for what they gave me that semester.

Runners-up:

• Amanda Hashagan as “The Creeper”
• Changing Lives Youth Theatre Ensemble 2009 show
• The Story of Humphry and Lucille
• TAP lunch-share
• TAP staff scavenger hunts
• Papier Mache, in general.

Dustin leaves Theatre Action Project to attend grad school at the Yale School of Drama this fall where he will be in the directing program. We will miss you Dustin.