The fall after finishing my undergrad, I worked for a children’s theatre in Columbus, Ohio. It was a magical year. I learned so much about myself as an artist and I think the lessons I learned there still inform the work I do with young audiences today. While I was there, I would tell these stories of my life growing up. The artistic director of the theatre loved my stories and told me I needed to take all of these wonderful stories and make a show! For the next four years, I told anyone who would listen that I have this great idea for a show – but I never… read more →
Crash, Boom. Those were the noises we heard. My wife and I were pushing our 15-month-old in a stroller up the street to a playground in the Chatswood neighborhood of Sydney. A small SUV hopped the curb a block away and was coming straight toward us on the sidewalk. Our first impulse was to back up but the car soon flipped to its side and started skidding more rapidly in our direction. My impulse was to grab the stroller, my wife had the same idea. We both went for it and our coffees flew in the air. We picked up the stroller and lifted it into the street away from… read more →
One of my favorite books to read to my son is I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont with wonderful illustrations by David Catrow. It was given to us by my Aunt Carol and really celebrates the idea of accepting ourselves for who we are. The exuberance the young girl the book uses to express that, no matter what, she is truly happy to be who she is and there is no one else she’d rather be, transcends into a universality of self-acceptance. I am often asked after performances or presentations if I ever wonder or wish what it would be like to have both my hands. I always tell the… read more →
Not long ago, I was taking questions after a school performance of my solo play. I was asked, “What is your proudest personal moment?” I thought about it and replied, “Being able to witness the birth of my son.” There was a large general response of “Ahhh…” from the audience. Then a rapid succession of questions: “What is your son’s name?” “Abner David Harrell, IV” (poor kid) “Does your son have a hand like yours?” “No, my son was born with both his hands.” “Are you happy your son will not have the same challenges as you because he has two hands?” “Um….” I wasn’t sure how to answer that… read more →
I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to take classes at The Australian Film & Television Academy in February. I had a fantastic workshop with Australian television director Geoffrey Bennett and participated in voice and movement classes with the full full-time students. It was so much fun to get back into a learning environment and I realized how much I have taken my training for granted. We all get caught up in the day to day task of life and it is so easy to put off opportunities for growth. Growth in our relationships, our health, our careers. We feel like we know what we need to know… read more →
A while back, I was in a bar in New York City talking shop with a few other actors and artists from my alma mater the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. We were talking about creating our own work and brainstorming on ways we could collaborate together. I soon found out about the 48-hour Disability Film Challenge. It was created to encourage artists with disabilities to collaborate with each other, and other working artists without disabilities to make fun and engaging short films. I went back to the UNCG folks I was talking with at the bar and pitched the idea that we work on making a film for… read more →
I was getting into a cab a few weeks ago; it’s not a regular occurrence for me, I’m more of a straphanger on the subway kind of guy. I get into the cab and give directions to where I am going. The cab driver says no problem and we have a few pleasantries. After a few moments he says, “My friend, can I ask you a question?” I know where this is going; I have been asked if I could be asked a question hundreds of times. I nod my head and say, “Sure, go ahead.” “What happened to your hand?” “I was born without it” I reply. “I see,”… read more →
I am a new father and, like most new fathers, I am a proud papa! I love watching my son take in this world. He is just about to make the transition from crawling to walking. He is so close! It’s been fascinating watching him calculate his next move, to figure out how many steps from the rocking chair to the couch. He has always been curious; I am sure all children are curious but it has revived in me a sense of my own curiosity. I’ve been thinking, “how much have I really challenged myself lately?” To be fair, there has been little sleep over the last thirteen months… read more →
I tell this story during my keynote about how my greatest anxiety is shaking hands. Most people do not realize I am missing my right hand and so it is inevitable they will stick out their right hand to shake. I have this choice: I could put out my right hand to shake but I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable, so I extend my left hand instead, which makes us both feel uncomfortable. You have this split second thought, “why did he just stick out his left hand – oh my God, I feel like a nincompoop.” And I have the split second thought, “oh no, I just made… read more →
The first day of school always started the same for me. “Abner Harrell” the teacher would say. (Even though I made sure to get to class early and request they use my middle name, David, when they called attendance). Every year it was the same story, all the way through high school. The first day of school would remind this guy, Chris Reed, of my first name and I’d spend the next two weeks relentlessly getting “Abner” cat calls. He’d soon forget about it and I’d go back to being “David” for the rest of the year. I did not like my name very much. I wondered why my father… read more →