Unified Theater aims to bring students together

For two hours Thursday night, 12-year-old Tatyana Wilson experimented with her love of performing.

With the help of Unified Theater, a national student-run program that focuses on bringing diverse students together, Tatyana and nine of her peers will write, direct and perform a play about a pair of medieval brothers.

“I want to be an actress when I get older,” she said. “This kind of gives me a head start.”

UNC freshman Elise Hopkins brought the program, which serves mentally disabled and non-disabled students, to Chapel Hill after being involved with it in Connecticut. The program is in its first week.

“It was such an important thing in my life and all of my friends’ lives at home,” she said. “I wanted to give other people an opportunity to experience what I had experienced.”

Hopkins initially became involved in the program when Unified Theater creator Micaela Connery did her makeup for a middle school production.

She said the program appealed to her because it makes no distinction between disabled and non-disabled students and roles are chosen non-competitively.

“It is not just a program for kids with special needs,” Hopkins said. “It helps people learn about people’s ability over their disability.”

Chapel Hill High School students Anya Josephs and Sammi Fernandes are using their love of theater to direct the program.

“It’s really fun to teach them theater,” Fernandes said. “It’s nice to see that other people enjoy it as much as I do.”

Josephs, who directed Romeo and Juliet at her school, said she runs this group like she would any other ensemble. She and Fernandes lead their pupils in warm up activities and ice-breaker games to get the youth acquainted with one another before they begin writing.

“Theater games are really great for ensemble building,” she said. “I think this is really valuable to help people get out of their shell.”

After unsuccessfully trying to introduce the program to Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Hopkins went to Therapeutic Recreation Specialist Marian Kaslovsky for help.

Kaslovsky, who works with the Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department, gave Hopkins the rehearsal space she needed and helped her reach out to the community.

“We have a variety of programs for kids with disabilities,” Kaslovsky said. “One of our missions is to include everyone that we can.”

She said the program is special because it’s teen-run and inclusive.
“The disabilities vary,” Kaslovsky said. “But we’re not focused on that.”

The group meets every Tuesday and Thursday at 523 E. Franklin St., the location that previously housed the Chapel Hill Museum.

Kaslovsky said she hopes more students will join the program before registration ends this week. The cost is $33 for Chapel Hill residents and $40 for non-residents.

The students will showcase their final performance April 15.

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