HowlRound: My Asperger's is the last thing people see when I am on stage. If it's visible, it isn't an abnormality, hindrance, or liability like it is in the world outside the stage door. A lot of people think that people with Asperger's cannot read body language and pick up social cues. It would be unfair to say that theatre didn't teach me these skills because that is what creating theatre is all about. It would also be unfair to say that Asperger's prevents me from getting work. I have had scripts read and produced at theatres, and I can honestly tell you that Asperger’s Syndrome has greatly contributed to my professional life as a theatre artist.
3 comments:
Stories about disabilities and disorders need to be told by people with disabilities and disorders. I applaud the authors ability to transcend what it means to be an actor with a disability on stage. It's only recently that the theatre world has developed a fascination with portraying mental health on stage with shows like Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest , Next to Normal, and Dear Evan Hansenn hitting broadway stages. Its important to take a step back and realize that the story being told needs to be accurate. Mental health is truly a full exploration for an actor on stage to uncover, but often times today we don't see the attention to detail and respect to triggers that we should see. Actors and directors need to start paying more attention to the topic when making theater abut mental health, its delicate and it deserves to have a proper dramaturgical research given towards it.
I really like how the the author flips the Aspergers narrative on its head in a way that I totally did not expect. I like that he approached his condition in a very straightforward manner, neither painting himself as a victim or a hero, but as a person who happens to have Aspergers. I completely agree with him that Aspergers needs better representation both onstage and in general. While I can’t speak the experience of dealing with Aspergers personally, I think theater is one of the best ways to convey his experience, both because of his personal connection to it, but also because theater is particularly a space where people look for empathy and understanding. In addition, I like that the article addresses that “… Asperger's gives me a big picture perspective all the time, and that my eyes act as a 360-degree camera looking around, capturing nuances.” Actually, his mental differences help him as an actor and give him a unique perspective.
This was an incredibly moving article to read. People with disabilities are an underrepresented group in theatre, and this article brought to light a particular story about a man with Aspergers and his experience in the performing arts. As an able-bodied person, I don't often realize the privilege I can hold when it comes to things such as representation in film, theatre, and television. It was moving to read the story of a man who sees his disability not as a hindrance but as an opportunity to think more deeply about his movement onstage and the mindset of his character. My favorite quote from the article was, "When it comes to Asperger’s so many see a hindrance, a spectrum, a liability, and a limitation, but I see possibility, a help, depth, and positivity. My view is not narrowed by perception; it is lengthened by my width of perception." To me, this lengthened width of perception is a broadened view of the world that is invisible to those who can't recognize their privilege.
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