13 minute read
THE SPINES
OOne of our earliest lessons in life is that we should never judge a book by its cover. That idiom is especially true here in Arizona when it comes to our state’s natural environment and all of the incredibly fascinating things of which it is comprised. At first glance, something may appear to be quite intimidating. But with the right perspective, these foreboding things are often responsible for the most beauty.
Photographer Veronika Countryman is well aware of this, expertly capturing on camera one of the best possible examples of this phenomenon — cactus blossoms.
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“Cactuses have a reputation of being inhospitable and painful,” Countryman says. “But the beauty that they put out in these blossoms is such a contrast to that. There are other flowers out there too. And I like them all. But there is just something about cactus flowers that is unique in that way.”
May offers prime time viewing of these remarkable miracles of our natural world, with saguaros, cholla, barrel cactuses and more suddenly showcasing some of the most colorful and dynamic flowers that you have ever seen. The prickly needles that surround them provide the perfect protection as well as a fair warning to the beholder: You may look but do not dare touch.
That contrast between danger and beauty encourages us to view the world around us — including people — with greater empathy and to understand that everything and everyone possesses qualities that exist on both ends of the spectrum. After all, as singer-songwriter Bret Michaels would tell you, every rose has its thorn.
But the complete opposite is also true. And therein often lies the greatest treasures — and an even more important life lesson that lies adjacent to the one about never judging a book by its cover: It is when you learn to look for beauty between the spines that you are most richly rewarded.
A lot of people do not see the [cactus flowers] that bloom at night. If you are out in the desert around Midnight, it is really cool. By the time the morning heat comes, which can be pretty substantial pretty early, they are already wilted. Veronika Countryman
Many cactus flowers bloom in April and May. You can see cholla, barrel cactus and prickly pears bloom into the summer, as well. Veronika Countryman About the
Photographer
Veronika Countryman’s Hungarian refugee parents brought with them to the United States only a few treasures — one of them being a camera.
Born in New York, one of Countryman’s most vivid memories from youth is of her father taking photos and putting together albums.
“He was a very visual person,” Countryman says. “I have always considered myself to be a visual person, as well, so I think that I inherited that trait from him.”
Countryman recalls the excitement that she had when, at six years old, her father let her hold his Agfa camera to take his picture on the front step of their house. In her early teens, she acquired her own Kodak Brownie camera, which she took out on rolling country bicycle rides to snap photos of wildflowers against old barns and gravestones.
“I lived in a somewhat rural area and, as I would be out just riding around through neighborhoods or country roads, those were the kinds of things that caught my eye,” explains Countryman, noting that she saw the contrast of something so bright and colorful against something old and drab as being beautiful, organic and rustic. “To this day, I can still see those images in my mind, even though the pictures are long gone.”
Countryman moved to Arizona with her husband in 1978. The Mesa resident puts her college education in clinical laboratory technology to good use with a part-time job in a laboratory at a hospital but continues to enjoy photography as a hobby as often as possible.
“I consider it a privilege to share my captures and interpretations, to inspire you to enhance your world with the rich splendor of creation,” Countryman says. “I confess that on a rare occasion I have thought this passion might wane, but I am regularly reignited by the ravishing beauty here in Arizona where there is always a new treat for the eyes and the soul.”
veronika-countryman.pixels.com Instagram: @azveronika
The cholla cactus has a really bad reputation. I often see people buy a plot of land to build a house on and one of the very first things that they do is clear out all of the cholla. But cholla put out a lot of beauty. During the summer, they bloom in the evening around dinnertime and into the night.. Veronika Countryman
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Theater Without Limits Detour Company Theatre
Writer Shannon Severson // Photography Courtesy of Detour Company Theatre
EEvery stage production is the revelation of story — a new interpretation brought forth by the unique talents of a particular assemblage of performers. At Detour Company Theatre, the performers just happen to be adults with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities who are dedicated to their craft and to sharing the joy of theater with the community.
Artistic director LaRiche Lamar, who is classically trained in opera performance and also directs the children’s Gospel Troupe at Paradise Valley United Methodist Church, first began her time at Detour Company Theatre as an audience member but was immediately compelled to become more involved. She saw how the organization meets a real need for adult programming that respects and develops the whole person.
Lamar says that it all comes down to representation and opportunity, not a focus on diagnosis.
“I’ve been in performance my entire life,” Lamar says. “I’ve never seen accessibility in this way — where the artist is at the center of the production. It’s an authentic, true theatrical production with the same impact the arts in general have on typically-abled persons. Those same benefits are there for people with disabilities.
“I didn’t have a lot of experience with the disability community and so I came in with few preconceived
notions about the artists’ limitations. As a result, I’m able to allow the artists to discover any limitations for themselves, and then can simply work to accommodate those limitations.”
Lamar oversees the four major programs at Detour Company Theatre, as well as the business side of this nonprofit that has been a community staple for over 20 years. There are 35–40 actors and 20 coaches who currently participate.
The Mainstage program produces at least two major family-friendly Broadway shows each season. Mainstage After Dark produces shows with more mature subject matter and themes. Boots Camp is a beginning workshop for new participants that covers acting, dancing and singing and each session ends with a showcase of excerpts from a particular musical.
“Our current Boots Camp will feature excerpts from Beauty and the Beast,” Lamar explains. “We have very long rehearsal processes to make sure everyone has time to learn the music, lines, the blocking, the movements. Some artists start off timid, shy — they’re uncomfortable in conversations, but then they get a script in front of them and find their voice.”
Lastly, there is The Academy — a series of workshops and classes with a goal to build skills through vocal, creative drama workshops in acting, singing and movement.
“One of the really cool things we also have is a ‘Big Discussions Club,’” Lamar says. “One of the challenges this population faces is that it’s assumed they can’t talk about big topics. We have discussions about
LaRiche Lamar: Artistic director LaRiche Lamar first began her time at Detour Company Theatre as an audience member but was immediately compelled to become more involved.
Detour Company Theatre is about eliminating obstacles that systemically prevent marginalized people from participating and purposely creating a space to perform in. It allows our actors to have a place to be completely themselves. LaRiche Lamar
the themes in our shows, what it means to be an actor and how to portray a character. One of our prominent artists was just discussing ‘inheriting a character’ versus ‘inhabiting a character.’ We have people at varying levels, but through examples, I find that most can grasp these concepts.”
Lamar emphasizes that a guiding principle of Detour Company Theatre is a focus on the fact that the participants are adults and the goal is to create a space where they can feel respected in that way. “A big issue in the community is the idea of ‘infantilization’ — the assumption that someone will stay at a low grade level,” Lamar says. “That’s simply not true. Even if someone isn’t developing from an academic standpoint, we all continue to grow and mature socially, psychologically and physically.”
The actors themselves have found friendships, romance and creative collaboration, as well as developing their own talents and establishing their own independent perspectives on the arts, themselves and their place in the world — things that everyone, regardless of ability,
needs in order to thrive and grow in life. For some, participation has helped them expand their own careers and advocacy.
Leah Mapstead has been with Detour Company Theatre for 13 years, but she began acting when she was about 6 years old. She says that the program has given her more self-confidence and she’s used that to advocate for herself and for her friends. She is an active contributor to the Big Ideas Club.
“Being part of Detour Company Theatre has given me the chance to show the world that people with disabilities are normal like anyone else,” Mapstead says. “We don’t want pity or for people to feel sorry for us. We want to be treated equally. With the right approach and done in the right way, people with disabilities can do equally as much as people without disabilities.”
Mapstead says that stepping out of her comfort zone meant sharing who she is and what means the most to her. She’s a volunteer at the Phoenix Herpetological Society, where she works with crocodiles and snakes, has adopted a red tail boa constrictor of her own and is a voracious reader of books about theater to learn a range of perspectives on acting, directing and composing.
LJ La Vancil is a musician who came to Detour Company Theatre in 2018 without acting experience, but went on to starring roles, playing the title character in “Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka” this past January. He was discovered by a production crew who cast him in police training videos that teach officers how to interact with people who have Autism.
LJ La Vancil is a musician who came to Detour Company Theatre in 2018 without acting experience, but went on to starring roles, playing the title character in “Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka” this past January.
Leah Mapstead has been with Detour Company Theatre for 13 years, but she began acting when she was about 6 years old. She says that the program has given her more self-confidence and she’s used that to advocate for herself and for her friends.
Davina Watson has been acting since she was five years old. She comes from a family of actors and singers and is starring as Princess Winifred in Detour Company Theatre’s production of “Once Upon a Mattress” June 11 and 12 at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.
“It was my first acting break and I wasn’t nervous,” La Vancil reveals. “I did a lot of plays after that and I started writing and recording music. The first song I released is ‘Autism Music,’ a dance pop-synth song. My first solo album is called ‘Autism Star’ and I produced it all on my own. I want to bring this opportunity and open it up to people in the Autism spectrum community to thrive and express themselves with music. I’m always looking forward to a brighter future.”
La Vancil does voiceover work, sketch comedy and his own live productions. He says that being part of Detour Company Theatre ignited a spark within him.
Davina Watson has been acting since she was five years old. She comes from a family of actors and singers and is starring as Princess Winifred in Detour Company Theatre’s production of “Once Upon a Mattress” June 11 and 12 at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. She says that she’s met so many friends — including her longtime boyfriend — through her participation with the company. “For disabled people [at Detour Company Theatre], everyone can be a star,” Watson says. “Every single one of us can be a star, as well as being one together. It’s about being accepted.”
Mapstead and La Vancil concur. They note that the friends they’ve met in acting have become a family where everyone can bring out their best. They credit their fellow participants and the coaches and leaders who guide them with fostering a spirit of collaboration that helps everyone feel like they don’t have to go it alone.
“I think everyone should be welcomed and not feel ashamed of who they are,” La Vancil says. “Sometimes you have to learn how to survive from where you’re at and that it’s OK to fail. Failing is not a person, it’s an event that can happen. This is why the most important thing is to let people have this opportunity.
“They have to start and practice until the right track comes to mind. They don’t want to feel lost in the world. I think that [those who] haven’t experienced [disability]
need to have some compassion and accept who we are as human beings existing in our human populations.”
Lamar says that she is building connections with other theaters in the area. She doesn’t want Detour Company Theatre to operate in a silo; instead it should be something people see all the time.
The growing team making this happen alongside her and these talented actors is a community of support accessibility consultants, disability consultants and coaches. They are there to run lines, review blocking and give reminder prompts. A few of the actors are moving into leadership roles including teaching. Lamar works to eliminate barriers for anyone who wants to be involved.
“Detour Company Theatre is about eliminating obstacles that systemically prevent marginalized people from participating and purposely creating a space to perform in,” Lamar says. “It allows our actors to have a place to be completely themselves. What is within our doors is wholly and totally theirs.”
detourcompanytheatre.org Instagram: @detourcompanytheatre
Experience
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
June 10 and 11 | 7 p.m.
Once Upon a Mattress
June 11 and 12 | 3 p.m.
