Disability and Sexuality: The Glass Box

Here's what I mean about becoming an "expert" on free Vancouver.

We spent the afternoon at a free "work in progress" called The Glass box put on by Theatre Terrific at the Roundhouse. It's a work in progress because it's still being tweaked.

It consisted of 3 people reading a script. One of the people is a woman in her 50s. The other woman is in her 20s or 30s who is a quadriplegic. She was injured in a diving accident that took place on a high school rafting trip. The third person is a man of an age I could not tell who has Down Syndrome. Jan Derbyshire is the Director.

How often do you think about sexuality and disability? It's usually either/or. One or the other but not the two together. If you're like most able-bodied people, I'm willing to guess next to never. Or if you do it's most likely in the negative as in a lacking, not a difference.

So, to have three people on stage, two with some form of disability, telling stories in a way that were about their sexuality, but more about their vulnerability, was a unique experience. I mean put up your hand if you think you don't have a disability of some form or another. Think about it and if you can't understand what I'm saying, then I'd say it's fair to say that your self examination has been minimal.

It's interesting to see three people telling their own stories and being able to see how much, in spite of their individual uniqueness, they have in common.

The play engages the audience in a way that can't help but turn the focus inward and gets us to think about our own sexuality while having the priviledge of hearing how other people's lives, able bodied or not, are really not all that much different when it comes to the vulnerability that is inherent in sexuality.

Have you ever asked yourself what you have in mind in terms of your future and sexuality? It was an interesting line in the play. Ever had to fill out a questionairre that tries to assess what your sexuality is worth, especially, if it has been irrevocably altered as a result of an accident? Not likely.

I'm not sure when the final product of The Glass Box will be complete or where it will run but if you get a chance, go see it.

Afterwards, we walked up to The Yale ordered a beer and sat in on the Sunday afternoon Jam session.

Cost of entertainment for the afternoon: $8.00 with beer including tip.
Enjoyment? Priceless!

A good line in the play: "Regrets are always a 10!" (on a scale of one to 10)

It's so easy to entertain oneself in Vancouver with next to no money. It's one of the best things about this place!