Sadeke Brooks, Sunday Gleaner Writer

Students of the Randolph Lopez School of Hope. - Peta-Gaye Clachar/Staff Photographer

Not much is expected of the physically disabled, and moreso those who are mentally disabled. However, the Randolph Lopez School of Hope will dispel these beliefs with their performances this weekend.

The group includes past and present students of the school who have moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. The small group, which comprises approximately 15 students from the organisation, will perform at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts, University of the West Indies, Mona.

The students will perform in an onstage compendium of drama called 'Dare to be Different', put on by the Jamaica Alternative Theatre Company. These presentations will be based on workshops that were sponsored by the Cultural, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund.

Christine Rodriguez, the principal of the Randolph Lopez School of Hope, says she was encouraged by Brian Heap, who is a consultant to the organisation, to get the students involved in the arts. In this way they would get support from different organisations, as the students were more visible.

"Ricardo Carr encouraged us to approach the CHASE fund to get sponsorship for the arts programme (at the school) to help build their confidence and self-esteem. From there we would go on to do a production," Rodriguez told The Sunday Gleaner.

The challenge of hosting the workshop with the students was taken on by Pierre Lemaire, a lecturer at the Edna Manley College (EMC) for the Performing Arts' School of Drama, and his assistant Mervin Spence. Both have been directing the workshop since last year. When they thought the group was ready they decided to put on the production. However, the journey has not always been a bed of roses.

Challenging

"It has been challenging, to say the least. It forces you to have a different approach to what you do. In this case it is totally different. Most of them are mentally retarded and they can't work like regular people," said Pierre Lemaire, who is the director of 'Dare to be Different'.

Lemaire made reference to one of his students who would never respond to any of their many stimuli. He said it took a year before they were able to make him smile.

Rodriguez also notes the issues that they have to face with these students. "There are challenges, but when you see the things that some of them are able to do with constant repetition and prompting it makes you realise that there is hope for all of us," she said.

In order to get responses from the students throughout the year, drama and improvisation games had to be used, as they are unable to read scripts. These activities help build their confidence and get them to respond.

"We cannot give them scripts 'cause they can't learn the lines. They sometimes can't remember what they did in the session before," Lemaire told The Sunday Gleaner.

He added: "We have to take it one step at a time until they feel at ease with what they are doing. You have to bring them into it little by little. It is very interesting and it's a very different experience."

While this work is challenging to Lemaire it is not entirely new. In addition to having been a teacher at EMC's School of Drama since 1979 he has worked with 'special' people before. He worked with deaf persons from the Jamaica Association for the Deaf since 1985, who were able to perform in Washington. In addition, Lemaire says he teaches his students how to use drama in different circumstances, including with those who are physically or mentally challenged.

Hour-long presentation

Lemaire says he is looking forward to the shows this weekend and urges the public to go and see the hour-long presentations.

"They are going to see a show with very special people. It's a show in which they will enjoy music and dance, but it is not what they are accustomed to seeing. They will be seeing a work in progress," said Lemaire, who noted that the students will present a more advanced production next year.

Rodriguez is also optimistic about the final production. "Anybody who comes is going to enjoy themselves. I just want to have a great time," she said.

She continued: "Nobody has expectations of the intellectually disabled. They don't expect them to do anything, so when they can get up and entertain you, isn't that an incredible achievement?"