Actors in The DisAbility Project (standing): Tatum Megli of Wildwood and Tom Allen of St. Louis; (seated) 1970 Ladue Horton Watkins High School graduate Laroy Smith of Frontenac and Kelly Baas of University City. (Suburban Journals)

Actors raise students' disability awareness
By Kate Miller
Of the Suburban Journals ~ West County Journal
03/02/2003

Students at Ladue Horton Watkins High School saw a performance of The DisAbility Project and brought the theater troop to the school Wednesday to spread awareness about the challenges facing people with disabilities.

The St. Louis-based theater group is composed partly of people with disabilities. Joan Lipkin is the artistic director of That Uppity Theatre Company, which presents The DisAbility Project. "We're really about art and advocacy," Lipkin said.

The skits are sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking renditions of what people with disabilities encounter on a daily basis, from finding parking spaces that haven't been taken by nondisabled people to finding work or visiting public places that aren't properly accessible to wheelchairs.

Lipkin said the skits are based on personal experience.

Seniors Rachel Rosenfeld, 17, of Frontenac and Mike Lewitt, 18, of Westwood were instrumental in bringing the group to the school after they saw them perform last year.

"I was ignorant to the way people with disabilities live on a daily basis," Mike said. "The DisAbility Project is a great illustration of that."

Student organizations helped raise money to bring the troop to the school's stage because they thought it was important for other students to understand the challenges involved with having a disability from birth defects arising from illness or injury.

The group educates audiences with scenes but also mentions facts, such as how derogatory words and gestures can be hurtful, and how most people with disabilities live below the poverty line because they have a difficult time finding work.

"People often overlook the discrimination involved with people with disabilities," Rachel said. "The manner in which The DisAbilty Project presented it was really moving."

Lipkin said spreading awareness through theater — with laugher as well as seriousness — serves a greater educational purpose.

"It's a preach-free zone," she said.

Students gave the actors a standing ovation after the one-hour performance.

"We hope Ladue students will think twice before they take a disabled parking space or something of that nature," Rachel said.

The DisAbilty Project will perform in the Monsanto Room at the Maryville University Library Building, 13550 Conway Road in Creve Coeur, at 4:30 p.m. March 18. For reservations, call (314) 529-9488.

Copyright 2003 Suburban Journals