Inverell’s Town Hall stage will be lit up this week with a series of unique and visually enticing performances set to break boundaries.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
An initiative from Inverell drama teacher Stephanie Marshall, Unstop-Ability celebrates all ages and ability levels.
Three groups of actors with disabilities will come together with four mainstream acting groups to entertain locals.
“To my understanding this is the first time so many disparate groups have come together to perform. In that sense it’s quite ambitious,” Mrs Marshall said.
She said the spirit of the show was inclusive and collaborative, and “a great example how small communities can connect”.
Mrs Marshall described the production as a “joyous celebration”, and felt many locals would be surprised by how much fun they would have if they attended.
Unstop-Ability is a show focused on erasing labels and blowing past expectations. From an energetic dance in which inventive light-up jump suits create the illusion of a stage full of stick figures, to a softer piece showing the performers’ wordless connection as they lay hands on one another; the semi-structured play explores inventive ways to tell stories.
A series of movements and music pieces, the production uses music and body language to surpass communication barriers and share emotional truths. Body percussion, unique lighting techniques and rhythm are key aspects.
“I’ll be very surprised if the audience isn’t dancing by the end of this. They just demand that you take part,” Mrs Marshall said.
“We all respond to rhythm in a very primal way, and what I’m trying to do with this show is trying to find the ways that we are similar rather than the ways that we are different.”
Mrs Marshall described theatre as “a safe place” and said sometimes people who couldn’t communicate in mainstream environments were able to share their stories on the stage.
“We come to a theatre expecting to listen to somebody else,” she said.
“I think something that’s probably true of the lives of these participants is that people don’t tend to listen to them. They’re marginalised in that way. They’re not part of a wider conversation or a wider community activity.”
“So in doing these kind of performances, they are given the privilege and the luxury of having people sit, listen and watch them.”
Unstop-Ability will be held at the Inverell Town Hall at 6pm this Wednesday, September 19 and 12pm on Thursday, September 20.
Entry is free, but attendees are invited to donate to the Terry Lawlor Vehicle Fund.