Acting has been Lois Bergen’s greatest passion from an early age. But going to drama school was not an option because of her intellectual disability. The fact that she still shines today in the professional musical ‘Faam’ would not have been possible without the arrival of Theatergroep Flexibel in Purmerend.
“She can act very well, especially exaggerated acting. She comes across as very sincere,” is how Lois Bergen describes her idol: Georgina Verbaan. She often visited the performances and film premieres of her role model. But this afternoon the roles are reversed. Then Georgina is in the room and Lois is on the stage.
That performance would not have been possible without the arrival of theater school Flexible, located in culture house Wherelant, in Purmerend. The very first drama school for people with disabilities.
Lois has a mild intellectual disability, which she does not notice much. She is very happy that she can go to the drama school in Purmerend twice a week to rehearse with like-minded people: “You don’t feel alone and everyone can be who they are.”
“There are really people with a lot of talent. It’s good that they are now also getting a chance”
Henriette ter Riet is one of the initiators of Flexibel. She started the school six months ago, simply because he wasn’t there yet. “There was not yet a place for people with a passion for theater and an intellectual disability. Then we thought, if it is not there, it must be there and we started investigating how to get there,” says Te Riet.
She developed a two-year program to enable people with intellectual disabilities to get a foot in the door in the theater and film world. “We teach the subjects you learn at an academy. During the lessons we look at how the student is doing and how we tailor it. For example, we give extra examples or stand next to the students,” says ter Riet.
A total of 11 students were allowed to start the training: “If you audition here, we’ll see: are you looking forward to it, do you have the courage to play, do you dare to play special things. But also, can you deal with instructions, can you deal with long arcs of concentration,” explains ter Riet.
“We want to show that these actors deserve just as much space as other actors”
Talented batch
During the rehearsals for the musical Faam, with which the company can be seen this afternoon in Theater Bellevue, the students also have to work hard to learn the lyrics: “It is very hard work and a lot of switching. Learning the script every now and then , and sometimes think that it is getting too much,” says ter Riet. Theater yoga, for example, has also been added to the teaching program to include moments of rest.
The performance is a co-production with the Amsterdam theater company Mugmetdegoudentand. Actress and guest theater teacher Joan Nederlof wrote the script: “The group is very unique, very energetic and uninhibited. I have also tried to guard that in the script. That they know, now everyone is silent, because of a solo for example, but also with room for improvisation”, says Nederlof.
“We want to show that these actors deserve just as much space as other actors,” says ter Riet. Nederlof adds: “There are really people with a lot of talent. It’s good that they are now also getting a chance. Good for the exclusivity that we strive for.”
Lois also thinks it is important that people with a disability can be seen more in films and performances. She doesn’t think about it too much though. What does have her full attention at the moment is her performance this afternoon with her great idol Georgina Verbaan in the hall.
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