by Anita Dacanay
Whenever I speak to Still Point Facilitator Laura
Callahan-Hazard, the joy she feels about working with her classes is apparent.
I spoke with Laura recently about Still Point’s brand new 12-week program for
adults with developmental disabilities that is taking place at Orchard Village,
a service provider in Skokie. Laura is the Lead Facilitator for this program,
and she is working with participants to create an original piece that will be
performed for the Orchard Village Board of Directors on June 30.
A running theme in the workshop is the way in which people
with disabilities are treated in society, and how participants can demand the
respect and fair treatment that they deserve. Consequently, the group has
explored various situations in which someone may have been discriminated
against or treated poorly. Then, the group has a “re-do” of the scene, in which
they act out a better or more empowering outcome to the situation. In the
process, group members get an opportunity to practice voicing their needs and
claiming their rights.
While the subject matter is serious enough, my conversation
with Laura left me feeling that the performance would also be fun and
entertaining! One participant named Joey is apparently a born performer who
loves to sing and dance at every opportunity. Joey has taken a leadership role
in the class and will act as narrator for the performance, reading the script
that Laura created from what group members voiced in rehearsals. Another woman, Laurie, surprised everyone
with her insatiable love of dancing, which has her leaving her walker by the wayside whenever someone cranks up the tunes.She even has a signature dance move, gleefully
copied by the rest of the group and coined “the Laurie” in her honor.
This workshop at Orchard Village moved forward after a
slight delay due to a fire at the facility. It certainly sounds as if the
performers in the group are relishing this opportunity to explore new talents
and showcase their thoughts and feelings.
Each unique voice that finds expression in a Still Point program is a
victory for all of us - from participants, to other artists, to the community
at large.
Still Point Facilitator Laura Callahan-Hazard of the Orchard Village Workshop
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