DCPA NEWS CENTER
Enjoy the best stories and perspectives from the theatre world today.
Enjoy the best stories and perspectives from the theatre world today.
First, a brief re-cap: Last year, Robert Michael Sanders’ hands were partially paralyzed when doctors botched a routine shoulder surgery. Sanders: A man whose livelihoods as an actor, director, teacher, guitarist, handyman and builder depend on the full use of his hands. Now, Sanders is many things (let’s just say … for example … stubborn!). But a quitter is not one of them. Sanders’ mobility was made somewhat better through intense rehab at Craig Hospital. But he has had to come to terms with the fact that he will never recover the full use of his hands.
Now with that out of the way, let’s just do a quick rundown of Sanders’ first full year as an actor with a disability:
Talk about a guy who’s got a grip.
The point is this: When life throws you a beanball, you have choice. You can hit the ground – and stay there. Or you can get up, dust yourself off, and move on. Sanders got up. He adapted. He didn’t bend to life’s will. He as much as told life there’s nothing he can’t do – even with limited use of his hands. So far: Sanders wins.
2014 TRUE WEST AWARDS:
1: Norrell Moore
2. Kate Gleason
3. Amanda Berg Wilson and Jeremy Make
4. Ben Cowhick
5. Robert Michael Sanders
6. David Nehls
7. Adrian Egolf
8. Emma Messenger
9. Buntport’s Naughty Bits
10. Tim Howard
11. Gleason Bauer
12. Daniel Traylor
13. Aisha Jackson and Jim Hogan
14. Cast of ‘The Whipping Man’
15. Rick Yaconis
16. Michael R. Duran
17. Laura Norman
18. Jacquie Jo Billings
19. Megan Van De Hey
20. Jeremy Palmer
21. Henry Lowenstein
22. Sam Gregory
23. Wendy Ishii
24. J. Michael Finley
25. Kristen Samu and Denver Actors Fund volunteers
26. Matthew D. Peters
27. Shannan Steele
28. Ludlow, 1914
29. Spring Awakening and Annapurna
30 Theatre Person of the Year Steve Wilson
ABOUT THE TRUE WEST AWARDS
The True West Awards, which began as the Denver Post Ovation Awards in 2001, are the longest-running continuously administered awards program in Colorado theater. This year, the awards have been reconceived to simply recognize 30 award-worthy achievements in local theatre, without categories or nominations. A different honoree will be singled out each day for 30 days.
The True West Awards are administered by arts journalist John Moore, who was named one of the 12 most influential theater critics in the U.S by American Theatre Magazine in 2011. He has since founded The Denver Actors Fund and taken a groundbreaking position as the DCPA’s Senior Arts Journalist. His coverage of the Colorado theatre community can be found at MyDenverCenter.Org
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