For Posterity and for My Team

Below is the speech I wrote for the acceptance of the Outstanding Program of the Year Award for Theatre Unlimited:

Greetings, everyone! I’m delighted to stand before you as the Director of Theatre Productions for Theatre Unlimited. Joining me are Whitney, our esteemed Music Director, and Justine, our very talented first-time Stage Manager who’s proven to be one of the quickest learners I’ve had the pleasure to collaborate with.

Every Wednesday and Sunday, our dedicated team of 42 actors gathers to rehearse our latest production. Our ensemble comprises men and women aged between 20 and 65, each bringing their own unique strengths, challenges, beauties, and aspirations to the table. It’s a diverse group, wherein each member lives with a cognitive or physical disability, and it’s our joy as a team to adapt our environment and theatrical experiences to ensure everyone has FUN! When performers arrive, they’re greeted with enthusiastic hellos, smiles, high fives, or hugs – whichever they prefer – before we dive into the work at hand.

Our current production is an original revue entitled, Lights Up! A Night of Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever After. Our show features monologues from well-known plays, songs from various musicals, choreography, and the wit of two emcees who’ve been hard at work crafting their own jokes and introductions. Our schedule is packed with acting, singing, dancing, and, above all, celebrating.

We celebrate every triumph. We cheer, we laugh, we troubleshoot, and we congratulate one another for nailing our performances. Just like any team, we also encounter internal conflicts, but these moments are valuable because they provide us all with opportunities to grow.

Beyond the rehearsal hall, we learn invaluable life lessons – about listening, patience, resolving conflicts with kindness, seeking leadership’s guidance when needed, handling jealousy or disappointment with grace, and giving our best for the collective good of the ensemble.

Thank you for recognizing Theatre Unlimited as an Outstanding Program of the Year. On behalf of our entire leadership team, I want to express that if there’s any honor to be bestowed upon our program, it belongs to our participants. As they often say during rehearsals, “Alright, everybody! We can do it if we work together!”