K-School Group Stages Play

A Pulitzer prize-nominated play about individuals with disabilities will open at the Kennedy School's Institute of Politics (IOP) this Thursday as the latest in a series of issue-related productions.

Sponsored by the Student Advisory Committee (SAC), Disability: A Comedy, will run through the weekend with shows at 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Tickets are $4.

"The reason I chose disability as a theme is because there's a growing interest in it on campus," said Dan Berger '89, the executive producer of the play. "Luckily, I found a play; people will think about a play in a way they won't think about a speech."

The proceeds from the four performances will go to the Boston Center for Independant Living, a non-profit organization that helps people with disabilities find living quarters, Berger said.

Two characters in the play are in wheelchairs. "One of the principle reasons I took the role was because I thought it would be a great acting challenge," said T.J. Mitchell '91, who plays the quadripleigic, electric wheelchair-bound male lead. "I have only three ways of expressing myself: vocally, facially and with movements of the wheelchair. I had to cut my hair because I couldn't brush it back from my face during the play."

Mitchell, who rode a wheelchair on the T to prepare for his role, said he found the bricks of Harvard Square as well as the uphill slopes especially difficult to manage.

Assistant Director Nils Jergensen, a quadripleigic, helped give Mitchell insights on scenes. "If I'm writing a short story from a woman's point of view, I can never know everything she would feel," said Mitchell. "I can't know how a disabled person would feel in certain cases, but Nils can."

The cast had some trouble finding wheelchair-accessible rehearsal space, said Director Jennifer Harris '90.

"Harvard claims to be accessible, but there were very few places with large enough space," Harris said. "The Union has a two hour limit on reserving room space, and they weren't real flexible about giving us more time." Instead the actors had to rehearse in the not-entirely accessible Quincy House Junior Common Room.

Virginia Thornburgh, the coordinator of programs for persons with disabilities at the University, and several administrators, will host a public reception at the IOP at 7 p.m. Thursday, said Berger.