Mandate (What we do)

Realwheels Theatre creates and produces performances that deepen conversations about D/disability*, exploring identity, agency, and belonging.

Mission (How we do it)

We create disability-led work in which D/disability itself is often not the focus but the landscape upon which we explore universal issues. Our projects challenge stereotypes and resist expected narratives, push boundaries, and ask critical questions. We build community, creating spaces where emerging and experienced artists alike can share stories that need to be heard.

We commit to growing the canon of plays written by artists with D/disabilities via the development of new work. We seek to explore innovative new forms including audio, video, and interdisciplinary art. We prioritize accessibility not only as necessary, but as creatively generative.

Vision (Our goal)

We work toward a diverse and barrier-free performing arts world that reflects the full spectrum of not only D/disability but lived human experience.

Core Values

• Authenticity and nuance in representing D/disability;
• Innovation and elevation in content, medium, and aesthetic;
• Accessibility and inclusivity in process and presentation;
• Respect and care in every practice, always.

PAST & FUTURE

In 1990, during his third semester in theatre school, Realwheels’ founder, James Sanders, became quadriplegic from a spinal cord injury. After a year of rehab, he returned to school to complete his training – and found society’s attitudes toward a person with a disability far more difficult to navigate than any physical barriers.

In 1998, James graduated from Simon Fraser University as Valedictorian, with a BFA in Theatre. In 2003, he and long-time friend Bob Frazer set out to change society’s perceptions of disability with a new play that challenged audiences to consider the fullness of characters with disabilities in (literally) new theatrical dimensions. They invited playwright Kevin Kerr – along with some of Vancouver’s finest theatre professionals, including Roy Surette and Sven Johnson –  to collaborate on Realwheels’ first production: SKYDIVE. The play went on to become a national hit. 

It led a charge to cast authentically on the landscape of Canadian theatre. For James, that meant ensuring that characters who used wheelchairs were actually wheelchair-users, and not just actors playing the part. Thus, Realwheels (“Real Wheels”) was born. 

The company’s other world-premiere works include SPINE (2010) and RE-CALCULATING (2015). From the canon of established plays, the company is perhaps best known for its multi-award-winning production of David E. Freeman’s 1972 classic, CREEPS, in 2016. 

When James left to pursue other projects, Managing Artistic Director, Rena Cohen, stepped in to move Realwheels forward. Over ten years of Rena’s direction, the company increased focus on community programming and accessibility advocacy. A successful run of community projects ultimately led to the launch of The Academy in 2021. About to welcome its second three-year cohort, The Academy is Canada’s only professional performance and creation program specifically targeted at artists who identify with disability. 

With the launch of The Academy, Rena stepped aside to make room for new leadership, and the company found its current directors: Shawn Macdonald, Adam Grant Warren, and Jordyn Wood. Coming with deep respect for the company’s important history, the trio marks a whole new leadership structure, and the beginning of some very exciting changes for Realwheels as it moves into its next chapter