“When I started working here two years ago, I had come directly from school, so I had an academic mindset around theater. I thought there was a specific model that you had to follow in order to produce a show. But that all went out the window pretty quickly. 

There was definitely a learning curve in understanding how to navigate our actors and guide them to a position where we know that we could be as a program and as individual artists. 

My most memorable opportunity was working with an individual here who really wanted to produce Baby Shark, The Big Broadwave Musical. She is autistic, and her viewpoint was very specific. She was so precise about how she wanted things executed. It brought me a lot of joy just to see her take her spotlight and fill the stage with her presence, and for me as a theater artist & director, that’s what I want from an actor, from anything that I do, is to be able to see that light come off of whoever is on stage. 

With any performance, I always think about what could have gone better, but this was the biggest moment where I learned that not everything has to be perfect. Not everything has to be scripted. I had to dismantle a lot within myself and learn to just be present. And that’s what our performances do; they force you to be present with them in the moment. 

We did a devised piece in November, which is a form of theater that is essentially built from the ground up. You start with nothing, and then you work with your ensemble to create a fully fledged production. We wanted the production to model the human experience. We started with interviews of each member, asking them about their favorite things growing up, a favorite toy, what it was like when they first moved out or went to college. 

We discovered a lot about ourselves and each other in that process. There was one individual who we had been with the company for 15 years, and we had no idea they had a husband who died, that they’d lived a whole life before they were diagnosed. 

We had hours of footage, and we turned it into a video testimony. So we had them projected on the backdrop while our members interpreted those experiences on stage. There was a section of the show, where our individuals talked about how they see themselves and how the world sees them that was followed by soloists expressing themselves through dance. I think everyone who saw that production deeply connected with it.

The current reality is that without this space we’ve created, there aren’t opportunities for our actors. But the hope is that one day, they are able to go and find their own work and be a part of the Columbus theater scene in their own capacity. We’re developing a partnership with Evolution Theatre Company to create a fully accessible venue. And then bring in actors from that company to work with our individuals and create productions that are for everyone, of every identity, and of every ability.”

– Aaron Mendoza is a program coordinator for the Stage and Screen program at Open Door, a nonprofit dedicated to creating meaningful opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live fulfilling, self-directed lives.