Award-winning Solo Show Comes to Evergreen Theatre

Award-winning Solo Show Comes to Evergreen Theatre
By Susan Wedlock

What do you do when you are diagnosed with a life-threatening disease as a child and the only thing that will save you will leave you with only one eye?

Well if you are Stephanie Morin-Robert you write and perform a multi-award-winning piece of theatre that uses comedy, dance, and story-telling to inspire and help others dealing with disabilities and differences.

Blindside has been breaking boundaries and wowing audiences across North America and is touring the Maritimes in November with a local show at Evergreen Theatre November 17 at 8pm.

Recently, Stephanie took the time to answer a few questions for The Grapevine:

The Grapevine: Describe your show Blindside in five words.

Stephanie Morin-Robert: Charming, hilarious, and a-little-bit-gross.

GV: Blindside is based on stories from your childhood and teens. Did all this stuff really happen?

SM: All stories are 100% true.

GV: When did you start to write Blindside and why?

SM: I started writing this show because I believed my experience could help others. I would have loved to see a show like this, it would have saved me a lot of time and pain. Self-acceptance is a challenging thing to face.

GV: Along with self-acceptance, your play deals with the search for self-identity. Do these themes resonate with a wide range of people?

SM: Everyone has something about themselves that they are a little self-conscious about. Weight, sexual orientation, depression. This show is very relatable and can help people from all walks of life to feel a little less alone.

GV: You have recently become a mother, has that experience changed your outlook on life?

SM: I feel like a whole new person. I’m experiencing life all over again. I’m enjoying motherhood so much. I feel so lucky to be touring with her and my partner Alastair. I talk a lot about my mother in the show, and since having my little girl, my relationship with my own mother has shifted because I have a better understanding of how much work and love goes into raising a family.

GV: What advice would you give parents who may have a child dealing with a situation similar to yours?

SM: Reach out to other people who are going through the same thing as you. Don’t be afraid to talk about it. Don’t pretend it’s not happening. Be sure your child knows how to face bullying.

GV: What is on your bucket list?

SM: Make a new solo show. A sequel to Blindside.

GV: What do you hope audiences appreciate most about your Blindside performance?

SM: I hope audiences appreciate how honest, vulnerable, and funny it is. I hope audiences appreciate Blindside for normalizing disabilities and physical differences through comedy.

GV: What are you most proud of about the show?

SM: I’m most proud of how far the show has come. When I first started performing this show, I was extremely nervous, due to how honest and vulnerable the stories are. It was terrifying. I’ve since toured the show over 100 times, and I’m thankful for how well it’s been received by audiences and critics across North America. The more I perform the show, the more I become comfortable with the subject matter and I’m a much more confident person because of it. Laughter is extremely contagious. I’m proud that I’ve managed to turn something so traumatic and difficult into something utterly delightful and hilarious.

Photo by Tristan Brand