‘Everyone is important and necessary, which is the purest form of inclusion’

DEBORAH STONE is inspired by a Melbourne Jewish theatre company that allows disabled people to enjoy their share of the limelight

THE THRILL OF the stage has been an annual highlight for cousins Eitan Meyerowitz and Zac Chester, who both tread the boards for the Melbourne Purim Spiel.  Eitan often has a lead role but Zac, who has Down syndrome, could never get beyond the chorus line in a regular theatre group.

Seeing his cousin’s desire to star in a show prompted Eitan to wonder what it would take to create a musical that allowed disabled people their share of the limelight.

The result is a new inclusive theatre company called Stars and the Moon which gave its debut performance on November 28 with a showcase of songs from Seussical.

 Zac, resplendent in a blonde wig and glittering dress as Mayzie La Bird, was one of 18 disabled performers who shared the stage with 35 other young people, mostly drawn from Jewish school and youth movements graduates.

Producing Seussical: the inclusical has been doubly challenging because the show had been scheduled to have its first full costumed run-through on the evening Melbourne was thrown into full lockdown with two hours’ notice. Cast and crew had to turn around and go home, a heart-breaking disappointment after working so hard towards showtime.

Plans for a full production had to be put on hold and the team settled for a showcase of songs to premiere the company.

But nothing about that premiere felt like a compromise to the audience of family and friends who buzzed with enthusiasm after the show, praising the vision of the production team, the dedication of the cast, and the unexpected capacities of their children.

Stars and the Moon takes its name from a song by Jason Robert Brown, which includes the words, "I'll give you stars and the moon/And this soul to guide you/And the promise I'll never go/
I'll give you hope to bring out/All the life inside you/And the strength that'll help you grow.”

Eitan said being part of the show had been a growth experience for all the performers, able and disabled.

Parents expressed astonishment that a girl who struggles with focus could knuckle down for a four-hour rehearsal or that a boy who habitually wanders could stay on his mark. Theatre kids who had never met a disabled person had their assumptions challenged and those who became involved out of an interest in disability support learned the buzz of being under the lights.

 “Because we were all working towards the same goal, we were able to really connect and achieve things that no one thought would be possible,” said Eitan.

To overcome the difficulties of the disabled performers, Eitan double-cast roles so that two performers could work together to build a character. Asher Stanton, 17, shared the lead role of JoJo with Eli Smolarski. Asher, who has a developmental disability, is a musicals enthusiast who knows screeds of lyrics by heart and plays keyboard by ear.

He said he liked singing with “Eli-Jojo”, delivering a funny line, and being watched by the friends who came to see the show. “It made me feel good, excited and happy,” he said.

Asher’s mother Zoe London said being part of Stars and the Moon had been an amazing experience both for Asher, a natural performer, and for his less theatrical sister Tamara, 21, a chorus member who also has a disability.

“This production has been an extraordinarily meaningful journey for Tamara and Asher and has inspired them to challenge themselves and achieve outcomes that make us all very proud.

“The team created an environment where the skills and talents of everyone are noticed, celebrated, and cherished. In this space everyone is important and necessary, which is possibly the purest form of inclusion I have ever seen.”

Asher and Tamara’s father David Stanton added, “If these young people – and by this, I mean all cast and leadership – are the future of the world, then maybe there is hope!”

Eitan said working on the musical together enabled performers to get past who had a disability and share their passions for music and performance.  “Asher and I really connected. It wasn’t about Asher as someone with a disability it was just Asher as an actor and what we have in common. He and I are basically the same person. It’s just one of us has a disability and one of us doesn’t.” 

It was important to Eitan not to compromise on the standard of the show because of the perceived limitations of the cast. Every rehearsal included someone charged with making inclusion work, whose job was to ensure individual needs were met and rehearsals were not waylaid by a cast member struggling to understand or becoming emotionally overwhelmed.

The theatre group also created a buddy system which, Eitan emphasises, works both ways.  “Asher’s buddy was Alex Miller and they both helped each other. Alex might have helped Asher with where to stand or with learning his lines, but Asher helped Alex with optimism and resilience and making friends.”

Although Stars and the Moon is a Jewish company, it is open to people from all backgrounds.  

Eitan, 23, whose day job is in the Jewish Life team at Leibler Yavneh College, credits his experience as a madrich in Hineni with his capacity to create the company and direct its first show.

“I’m totally indebted to Hineni. I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did without it. I learned how to organise, how to work as a group, all the good stuff.”

As well as its vision for inclusivity, Stars and the Moon aims to enable a theatre opportunity for shabbat-observant young people.

“Once you leave school, you really have to give up being shomer shabbat if you want to be involved in theatre. A lot of people who had been through Jewish schools and loved theatre were incredibly frustrated to have to choose between being involved in theatre and being shomer shabbat,” said Eitan.

Stars and the Moon will create a new show in 2022. To become involved or donate to support their work, go to https://www.starsandthemoon.org/

A personal note: I’ve known Tamara and Asher since they were born. Their mother Zoe and I have been close friends since we met on an Israel program, at the age Asher is now.

Photo: Lachlan Girdlestone as the Cat in the Hat