Theatre
SMASHING STEREOTYPES & LIVING WITH A DISABILITY
“Gets the kind of laughs most comics only hear in their dreams.”
— OTTAWA CITIZEN
First Day in the School Yard
Grades:
4-6, 7-8
Audience Maximum:
200
Price per performance:
$540 + gst
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 other children who are also labeled as being different while remaining true to himself. Alan’s humour challenges many assumptions about the lives of people with dis¬abilities and helps young audiences see how they can accept and celebrate differences of all kinds.
Still Waiting for that Special Bus
Grades:
7-8, 9-12
Audience Maximum:
200
Price per performance:
$540 + gst
Actor, stand-up comic and disability activist, Alan Shain has brilliantly created a dramatic monologue that gives the audience some insight into the complex, sometimes frustrating and hilarious life he leads. Still Waiting for that Special Bus has toured extensively across North America and Australia to critical acclaim. It takes us into the living room of a young man, with a disability, waiting to go out on a hot date. He worries about all the things anyone worries about before going out with someone new. Although in this case, Alan’s particular frustration is with the Para Transpo bus – which is getting later and later and threatening the success of his evening. Will he ever get to his date? How will his evening end?
Curriculum Focus & Expectations
Themes:
- Storytelling, One-person Show
Character Education:
- Accepting and Understanding Differences, Making Friends, Developing Relationships, Empathy, Making Right Choices
Expectations:
- Identify the variety of characteristics, skills, competencies, qualities and talents of others
- Identify biased and stereotyped language
- Identify expressive speech and movement
- Demonstrate respectful behaviour towards the feelings and ideas of others
- Describe learning made possible through drama
- Demonstrate their understanding of how to build positive relationships at school
Tour Availability:
- October 20-24, 2008 & April 20-24, 2009
Technical Requirements:
- Large open area or stage
- Artist must be on a stage or raised platform for Still Waiting for "Still waiting or that sSpecial bus"