Drama group for people who stammer

Stephen P

If there was a drama group setup for adults who stammer, would you be interested in joining?

Stephen P

I've voted Yes. Drama has always been something I was interested in but shied away because of my stammer. I would like to give it a go and it would be interesting to see if acting a scene affected my stammer in any way.

Yes from me.
Is there one?

Michael O Shea

At an Irish McGuire Programme course in Galway in November 2010 the Galway support group put on a play which lasted for half an hour, it was very well put together, the acting was superb and it just showed what people who are challenged by stammering can do, they entertained us all by letting go and having fun.

Speak soon,
Michael.

Stephen P

As far as I'm aware there's no drama group for adults who stammer operating on a regular basis.
Michael, are the people who performed part of a group that meet regularly?

Michael O Shea

Hi Stephen,
They are all members of a McGuire support group which meets in Galway and Longford, they wrote, directed,produced, and performed the play themselves, as far as I know they are working on one for this year, people who are challenged by stammering are very talented.

Speak soon,
Michael.

Stephen P

It's very encouraging to see people who stammer put their fear aside and do something they love doing!

pwd

Why do you need a special drama group?
If I saw a play where one or two characters stammered, that would realistic.
If I saw a play where every character stammered, it would be ridiculous tbh.
Just join a normal drama group.

Stephen P

As someone who stammers I'd be hesitant to join a "normal" drama group due to fears associated with a stammer (embarassment, shame etc...). I'd be more inclined to attend a drama group if I knew everyone there stammered and was in the same position as me. For me it would have the same benefits as attending a selfhelp meeting.
To be honest I'm a little insulted that you say "if I saw a play where every character stammered, it would be ridiculous tbh". From that statement I take it you don't stammer? If that's the case then you don't know what it's like for a person who stammers. To get a tiny idea of what it is like, you should try go into a shop and purposely stammer in every sentence, then you might get some idea of what it's like for us.
We avoid all our lives, to be in an environment where others stammer gives us confidence and helps us with our speech.

pwd

I stammered for years. I do know what it's like - which is not a big deal at all.
There's nothing insulting in saying a play where all the characters stammered would be ridiculous. Not everyone stammers in real life, only a few people do. You don't need special groups. All you're doing is trying to create a stigma where there is none.

Stephen P

It may not be a big deal to you but it is a big deal to some people and knowing they can go somewhere and not be judged is great for them. I'm not talking about putting a play on in the Abbey or anything. I was thinking along the lines of a social club where people who stammer can go, meet other people who stammer, make new friends, practise speech tools they learned in speech therapy and also have the element of acting scenes or roleplaying.
I am not trying to create a stigma. It was an idea I had, there is nothing set in stone.

Michael O Shea

The play was a great success, all the cast used their techniques as Steven explained, which they had learned over a period of time, they were so focused on the performance there was almost no stammering.

Bruce Willis stammers, but never during a performance, he realised during high school when he performed in the school play he never stammered on stage, he just brought that performance mentality to the real world where he became very confident, he still has a bit of stammering now and then, but as he says "Just give me a sec here" and just moves on with the sentence.

Michael Palin who put on a severe stammer in "A Fish Called Wanda" just copied his Father who had a severe stammer, Michael is now doing very positive work to promote the awareness of stammering world wide, because he does not want any Child or Adult to go through what his own Father went through.

Speak soon,
Michael.

Good positive support in a safe enviornment is the first basic step in stammering recovery, what better way then to a group who are willing to help and support each while enjoying themselves at the same time.

Stephen P

Colin Firth is staring in a new movie called The King's Speech.

The film is about how Lionel Logue, an Australian speech therapist, was retained by the then Duke of York (later King George VI) to help him to overcome his stammer in the years before, during and after the Abdication crisis.

Michael O Shea

I must look out for that one Steven, thanks for letting us know.