It’s a dream come true for some young Montreal actors – a chance to perform on the Centaur stage.
For the first time, the Centaur Theatre is adding a student production to its Wildside Festival.
Called ‘Outta Here,’ the musical is about living with disabilities. It’s performed by students from The Summit School who have developmental disabilities.
The story, in many ways, is theirs.
“The story is kind of how all of us feel and how society treats us. It's good. I want people to come and get a better understanding,” said Dellon Paterson, a young actor in the play.
The festival’s co-curator Johanna Nutter said that after she discovered the play, she knew she had to see it on the Centaur stage.
“It just broke me open. It was the most beautiful, thoughtful thing I had seen in a long, long time,” she said.
Director Jesse Heffring, who is a media teacher at Summit School, said the play gives young people with developmental disabilities a voice.
“Often adults speak on their behalf, but they have so much to say. A lot of these characters are based on actual students and real students, and those students inspire us constantly,” said Heffring.
The play will be performed at the Centaur on the following dates:
Thursday, Jan. 5 at 8 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 7 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
For tickets, visit summitperformingarts.com or centaurtheatre.com
