Humorous, frustrated, tender and always very real, Alan Shain’s plays challenge the stereotype of disabled people. By presenting life’s common experiences of going to school and dating, audiences are exposed to Alan’s unique struggles, celebrate in his successes and discover that differences can also be strengths.

Alan Shain poignantly tells stories based on his life as a person with a disability with candor, humour and insight. First Day in the School Yard recounts Alan’s true experiences of going to a “regular school” for the first time to attend grade six. Much like any kid at a new school, he struggles with gaining acceptance, making friends and finding his place in the school yard. Alan has to work out how he deals with others who are also labeled as being different while remaining true to himself. His humour challenges many assumptions about the lives of people with disabilities and helps young audiences see how they can accept and celebrate differences of all kinds.

Actor, stand-up comic and disability activist, Alan Shain has brilliantly created a dramatic monologue that gives the audience some insight into the complex, frustrating and hilarious life he leads. This one-man show has toured extensively across North America and Australia to critical acclaim. It takes us into the living room of a young man waiting to go out on a hot date; a young man with a disability. He worries about all the things anyone worries about before going out with someone new. Alan’s particular frustration is with the Para Transpo bus – which is getting later and later. Will he ever get to his date?