Theatre Adventure is a non-profit organization in West Brattleboro offering year-round theater arts programming for youth and adults with a burning desire to perform. Many of the Theatre Adventure actors have developmental differences or physical challenges. Most importantly, all troupe members bring a breadth of talent and abilities to the stage.
Melody Squires is an actor in the Thursday Troupe. She has two types of Cerebral Palsy and uses a wheelchair for mobility, and assistive technology for communication. Melody joined Theatre Adventure in 2016. When asked about her original impressions upon becoming a part of her troupe Melody stated:
The Theatre Adventure teachers, Laura and Darlene, welcomed me with open arms and never thought that I was weird. I have a really bad speech problem and I was more scared and very nervous about that. What if people laugh at me? Or, what if nobody listens to me? These thoughts were going around in my mind, but after I was in Theatre Adventure for about two weeks, those thoughts vanished and acceptance came into my mind! I thought, oh my God, I literally have somewhere to go and be myself, where people want to listen to me and won’t laugh at me!
Melody has been in eight performances. She says her favorite play so far has been Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Melody played Nick Bottom. She loved playing this character because she loves to kid around and play tricks on people. In Melody’s words “That’s right up my ally. I love playing jokes on everyone!”
When Melody is not in theater class she is painting! Because of her Cerebral Palsy, Melody needed to be quite inventive in order to use a paintbrush. The solution was to create a helmet with a headstick that holds the paintbrush. It is quite amazing to watch Melody’s proficiency as a painter!
Painting by Melody Squires
Melody takes classes at the River Gallery School of Art in Brattleboro and had her first art show in March of 2018. Melody is deeply appreciative of the guidance she receives from her painting teacher Ross Smart. When asked about her first art show Melody had this to say: “So many people came to see my art. I am surprised because I never thought that I could be a painter. Seeing my art show made me realize that I can do this even though I have physical disabilities. All my life, I thought that being an artist meant that you have to have everything working, but now I see that is not true.”
With the help of a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts Melody was hired by Theatre Adventure to be a painting teacher during summer camp in 2019. The students were studying “Charlotte’s Web” and Melody based her lessons around themes from the story. She had assistance from Darlene Jenson, Disability Specialist and Co-Director of Theatre Adventure, as well as her own support staff, Ross. Melody states “At first, I was very frustrated because the students were looking at Darlene and Ross as the teachers and not me. I wanted them to know that I was there to be the teacher, even though I am in a wheelchair.”
Melody spoke to the Theatre Adventure Directors about how she could change this dynamic and together they decided to use a skill Melody had learned in theater class, “Call and Response.” The next day Darlene explained to the class that when Melody gave an instruction they were invited to listen and watch and then respond with their own paintbrushes and specific colors and/or shapes on their own papers. Melody added, “It took a while for the students to learn this method, but within a few days, everyone figured it out and everyone was looking at me and connecting with me as their teacher.”
Additionally, some of the NEA grant money was used to purchase adaptive equipment similar to the headset Melody uses so that students could experiment with different physical adaptions to painting.
In November of 2019 the Theatre Adventure Program became its own 501c3 non-profit, Theatre Adventure, Inc., after fifteen years of partnering with the New England Youth Theatre.
A Board of Directors was formed and the founders of Theatre Adventure, Darlene Jenson and Laura Lawson Tucker, asked Melody to join the Board of Directors. Laura states, “We wanted Melody’s voice on the Board. Melody is as a smart, thoughtful, and caring person and an artist. She is also as a person who lives with physical challenges and has her whole life. She is an amazing self-advocate. We thought that the board would be stronger and more honest with a Board member who has all of Melody’s talents as well as the fact that Melody knows from the inside out what it means to live with Cerebral Palsy.”
When asked what her reaction was to being invited to join the Board Melody shared, “I didn’t know what to think, I was dumbfounded! I couldn’t believe that they wanted me to be on the Board. I told them yes right off. Even though I was very, very thrilled to be on the Board, I started thinking to myself, what am I doing? What do I know about being on a Board? There’s a lot to learn, but it is very rewarding!! I just love it!”
Melody said that at first learning about the budget was confusing but she is developing a better understanding of the finances of the organization. Her committee assignments are Marketing and Fundraising. She is excited about helping the public learn more about Theatre Adventure, and of course helping to raise money to fund program costs and student financial aid. Melody is thrilled to be a part of a vibrant new Board of Directors and to learn behind the scenes details that are so important in making the organization successful.
At the end of our interview Melody shared that when she was first introduced to Theatre Adventure she was simply planning on helping a friend with scenery design. At the time she thought to herself that she could never be an actor and perform on stage… “But here I am, I am a student, an art teacher and a Board member! At times, I just cannot believe that I have come this far in theater and I just love every moment of it. I have made a lot of great friends whom I love so much! We are one big happy family!”
~Laura Howe with Melody Squires
May 2020