Q&A: Sadie Chamberlain's Play About Life With Cerebral Palsy

Sadie Chamberlain has an active imagination and a way with words. The Northeast Kingdom native has been acting since she was 5 years old. Now a senior at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, the 22-year-old has performed in two dozen shows and is pursuing a double major in theater and psychology. For her senior capstone project, Chamberlain wrote a fantastical play about her life with cerebral palsy. In A Taste of Freedom, she sings, dances and acts as the Maiden, one of four characters who inhabit a Celtic landscape.

In the latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger stopped by the campus to see a rehearsal of the show. A Taste of Freedom runs from Wednesday, November 6, through Saturday, November 9, at the McCarthy Arts Center Theatre at St. Mike’s.

Sollberger spoke with Seven Days about filming the episode.

Why did you pick this story?

I got an email about Chamberlain’s upcoming show from Peter Harrigan, a theater professor at St. Mike’s. I have featured Harrigan in two previous videos. In 2017, I met him during a production of Mill Girls, and last year I got a tour of his impressive Barbie collection; that video won a few awards and has about 76,000 views online. So when Harrigan told me about Chamberlain’s play, which he is directing, I knew it must be something special.

What was your first impression?

Chamberlain is charming, articulate and incredibly creative. I enjoyed talking to her in the dressing room before watching the rehearsal. She loves classical music, and we bonded over our “nerd” statuses. Even after she described the plot to me, I had many questions — I need to see the full show in November. I only filmed a few scenes, but the play was refreshingly strange, with snappy banter. I loved the fantasy element, and her music choices are excellent.

“Emotions are like a buffet: You should try everything.” Sadie Chamberlain

You had some great footage of Chamberlain on campus and at home.

I am very grateful to Chamberlain and her family and friends for providing me with video footage of her walking around campus, studying and feeding chickens at her home in Burke. It helped me get to know her better to see her in these contexts outside the theater. It makes the story richer, too.

I was also glad to include photos of Chamberlain from various productions at St. Mike’s and Lyndon Institute, her high school. She has quite an impressive track record for a young theater artist.

Chamberlain seems very open about her disability.

Yes. I also got footage of her participating in a panel discussion called “Disability & Freedom: Stories From SMC.” This was an informative talk with three other speakers. Chamberlain spoke eloquently about her experience at St. Mike’s while also plugging her upcoming show. The McCarthy Arts Center, where her show will be held, is notoriously difficult to navigate and has many stairs. Of course, that does not stop Chamberlain: She told a humorous story in which she had to “tuck ‘n’ roll” to get onstage at the recital hall. Chamberlain’s show will be held in the theater, which is accessible.

Why is this such a meaningful show?

Chamberlain speaks in the video about how she includes both the positives and the negatives of her life with a disability. As she said, “Emotions are like a buffet: You should try everything.” I love that idea, and I tried to include Chamberlain’s complex thoughts in this video without trimming them down too much.

What were the conversations about disability like?

It is illuminating to meet people such as Chamberlain. She said she has been advocating for herself and teaching people about disability since she was 8 years old. Obviously, it is not her job to do so, but she is often open to questions and advises people to stay politely curious. I had a lot of queries, and we emailed and texted over the weekend.

Any personal takeaways?

My 90-year-old mother has become less mobile in her later years, and I have experienced how complicated it can be to accommodate her needs in various places. Disability activists use the term TAB — temporarily able-bodied. That applies to a lot of us. It’s a helpful perspective when you spend time with someone who navigates spaces differently. Life is hard enough without ableism and stigmas. Perhaps we can all be more open-minded and gentle with each other and with ourselves.

A Taste of Freedom by Sadie Chamberlain, Wednesday, November 6, through Saturday, November 9, 7 p.m., at McCarthy Arts Center Theatre, Saint Michael’s College, in Colchester. Free. Info, smcvt.edu.

The original print version of this article was headlined “Free to Be | Saint Michael’s student Sadie Chamberlain debutsa play about her life with a disability”