DC Theater Arts: Ask Eva Thorpe whether she was a live-out-loud, extra-lipstick-and-sequins kind of theater kid growing up and she demurs.
“I was always on the cusp of being a theater kid,” she admitted. Growing up in Northern Virginia, she said, “I did tech every now and then in high school, but I never took theater classes. I had friends in theater and I liked being backstage,” but she avoided the spotlight.
2 comments:
I really love the mission of Heart House - a place that brings together people of all abilities, not singling out any one person or disability. It creates a space that is welcoming and accommodating to disabled folks without being overly simplistic or condescending. There were several productions at my high school that disabled folks were a part of, and their existence in the space only made for a richer, more exciting show. It’s not a statement to include disabled folks - it should be an expectation. That’s why this article and company inspire me so much: it’s normalizing the everyday existence and passions of all folks. I also like how Thorpe pointed out “the gray area” of who has disabilities and who doesn’t, “because a lot of people have hidden disabilities that we don’t know about and that we can’t see” (Traiger). This is a concept that most people rarely think about in terms of disability, but when we create spaces that are accommodating to any and all people, everyone can feel seen and heard, and be able to follow their passions without barriers.
Overall, this article is a very heart-warming read about the importance of opportunities for marginalized groups. Specifically in the article, Thorpe speaks on growing up with a disabled sibling, and how neurotypical people perceive disabled people as incapable or immature, and therefore unfit for regular theatrical spaces, when often the contrary is true. Especially within theatre spaces, it is truly important to look at how we as directors, designers, cast members, etc., look to and treat not only people with disabilities, but people a part of other marginalized groups as well. Many people get ostracized from the main-base of a theatre, in many cases for parts of their identity that they cannot control, something that we are guilty of even on an educational level. I am happy to read about people actively working to improve theatrical spaces for both the disabled community, but also other communities as well, and I hope to hear more about the Heart House in the future.
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