Alan Shain

Alan Shain Kim and Alan's stories evoke laughter as well as sadness, pain as well as discovery, in confronting both personal and social barriers. Their stories around disability take us from childhood fantasy and schoolyard bravado to university halls and first time romances. Have you ever vied for admiration and friendship? Wou...ld you trade your chocolate Easter eggs in for a dragon to exact revenge? Have you ever dreamed of being able to explore the world? Would you trade these dreams in for love and romance? Have you ever been offered dating advice from your bus driver or been complimented on being able to spell your name properly at age 21? Through the lived experiences of disability, these stories explore the transformative powers of love and self-worth, friendship and community. But who is actually being transformed? How? And to what end? As the hatched dragon breathes its own fire, the hatched story breathes its own truth.

Smart, witty, thoughtful and thought-provoking, Hatching the Dragon compels attention with stories carefully crafted to evoke two lives relished and lived to the full.
Jan Andrews, storyteller & children's author

Tickets: $15, $12 seniors & students
... available at Shenkman box office

Alan Shain comes to storytelling from stand-up comedy, getting his start at Yuk Yuks as Canada's leading comic with cerebral palsy - and brown hair and blue eyes - and who juggles socks (though not very well). He has since toured extensively across North America, Australia, and England in theatre, storytelling and dance. His solo theatre piece, Still Waiting For That Special Bus, has earned national and international acclaim: “Very witty and very down to earth” CBC Radio “A simple tale [which] has that lived quality and the pain behind the humour is very real” RealTime Magazine, Australia

Kim Kilpatrick loves telling stories of all genres to audiences of all ages. She especially loves creating and performing the autobiographical stories of her life which are filled with twists and turns, humour and insight. Kim has been featured at storytelling festivals in Ottawa, Toronto, and Saint Mary's, on the NAC’s FOURTH STAGE, and at many other local venues.

Tickets: $15, $12 seniors & students

Shenkman Arts Centre is located at 245 Centrum Boulevard in Ottawa’s east-end, just 15 minutes from downtown, 18 minutes from Rockland, and just a few minutes walk from OC Transpo’s Orléans Station at Place d’Orléans.The closest major intersection is St. Joseph Boulevard and Place d’Orléans Drive.

Next stop for Hatching the Dragon: October 16 to 25, 2009
Quebec Intercultural Storytelling Festival