I chose to see the show Braced, written and performed by Rebecca Steele because I, too, am “braced”. I wear an AFO, ankle foot orthotic, as a result of permanent damage to my sciatic nerve to my right foot from a herniated disc. And I, too, wrote a play, which I took to the Regina and Edmonton Fringes, based on my story called Dusty Shoes.

But.. this isn’t about me. Although, my reaction to Steele’s play comes from my sensitive perspective and I can appreciate, maybe a little more than the average person, what she went through wearing a brace for her scoliosis.

High school and adolescence are challenging enough in the normal sense but throw in a back brace, one that has to be worn for over a year, and your plate is anxiously full. My own medical challenges came later in life, however, still had its own impact.

Each performance… Continue reading “Introspection at the Fringe: “Braced”” →