April 12, 2016 - 16:56
I truly loved A fierce kind of love. In the beginning of the performance I was fearful that the neurtypical actors would hold the most space on stage. Those fears were quickly diminshed when the actors were interrupted by the disabled actors who openly demanded space and their voice being heard. This element of interruption could be seen through out the play.
Another scene where interruption was a focal point was when the signs with labels that were/are used to discriminate against adults with intellectual disabilities were being passed out to the characters. The actress Lori interrupted this scene by refusing to accept the sign with the R word. The scene was then cracked in half. I thought this was a powerful moment that connected to conversations we have had in class regarding the movement to end the R word. It was so refreshing and powerful to hear someone who has an intellectual disability be given the space to openly say that this word along with the others are hurtful. This message was emphasized again in the end when the actress herself spoke about difficult that scene was due to her personal history. I think the authenticity of the play is what made it so powerful. Utilizing the experience of the cast as well as the audience. From the beginning the play engages audience members by having the actors personally introduce themselves and chat. This increases the audience's trust in the play as well as their engagement with the work. I thought this again was a beautiful element that brought together the play as being a representation of an ever changing anf nuanced community.With the audiences involvement the play is always flexible to change and therefore can ethically represent the disability community.
The scene that struck me the most was where the man playing the new anchor describes pennhurst. This was a vital scene that exmeplified the horrifying reality of the institution and institutions like it. I found it very moving since I know of multiple artists at CCW who lived in Pennhurst. It reminded me of the importance of remembering that these stories are not just in the past but are still effecting people today.
Overall I really enjoyed the play and that it was well done.