Hand In Hand
A theater experience to see through the touch of hands, and the mind's eye.
Conceived and performed By Leslye Orr

Hand in Hand, a unique learning experience for anyone from 9-to 99+ is a play in which audience members may close their eyes and heighten their imaginations. By being seated in a spiral configuration, each person can come in touch with the world of deaf-blind Helen Keller and her half bind teacher, Anne Sullivan, while a myriad of objects are passed around to tactilely illustrate the language-pictures drawn by actress Leslye Orr. The profound letters and witty lectures of the great educator and her spirited pupil set the stage for this intriguing historical encounter. Orr, legally blind since birth, created Hand In Hand to share her belief that disabilities have unlimited possibilities, and has performed the play across the country in plush theaters and pool halls, from the Kennedy Center to Lisbon, North Dakota, for deaf-blind groups and girl scout troops, and for all those who wish to experience the feeling of being alive.

Leslye Orr lives in Minneapolis where she freelances as a performer and playwright. She travel nationally touring shows and conducting theater workshops for groups of all ages. She began her career at the Children's Theatre Company of Minneapolis where she was a company member and voice coach for ten years. She has written scripts and performed for Ballet for the Dolls, Dudley Riggs, Illusion Theater, and Ruby's Cabaret. She was a 1990 Jerome Fellows' and a recipient of a 1991 Jones commission through the Playwrights' Center. In 1995 she was chosen as one of three playwright to receive a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board to write a new play. Leslye Orr's touring shows are her two original solo pieces, Hand In Hand and Women Who Drink. Her shows and workshops are available upon request. When at home Leslye serves on her neighborhood board and participates in many community projects. She is married to actor Zaraawar Mistry.

Wednesday, October 1, 1997
Two Sections: 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Bede Ballroom
Free Admission

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