Category: Q&A

Peacock Players welcomes new director

Meet Elle Millar, the new executive director of Nashua-based youth theater company Peacock Players.

What is your background in this kind of work?

I’m currently a middle school teacher in Nashua, and I’m also the drama club director there, so I already have a connection with a lot of the young people … in Nashua. I’m also a performer and have performed with … different companies in southern New Hampshire. As a kid, I [performed with] Andy’s Summer Playhouse.

What will your job as executive director entail?

The big things that I’m figuring out right now are what productions we’re going to be putting on next year, and identifying the people who will be doing the music, directing and choreographing. It’s a lot of organizing and planning and figuring out the logistics of how to make everything happen.

What do you hope to accomplish?

I have big plans to expand our programming over the next calendar year. … The board and I have talked a lot about expanding [theater] beyond the stage to bring it to the kids in elementary schools, middle schools and high schools in Nashua. We’re also working on some programming for preschool and early elementary school kids, and some adult arts education opportunities, as well. … We’re working on bringing some fresh theater to Nashua, ‘fresh’ meaning [shows that are] less-done, but still beloved.

What do you expect to be some of the biggest challenges?

With the isolation of the pandemic and the stress of being out of school and out of their routine, kids are really struggling with how to communicate with each other in healthy ways. There’s a lot more arguing and a lot more drama. … We’ve been talking about how we can help our kids put themselves into other people’s shoes and understand healthy, positive ways to interact with each other, resolve conflicts and broach difficult topics with their friends. We’re looking at some different sorts of social-emotional learning and relationship-building and empathy-building exercises [using theater] that we could potentially bring into the schools. … I’m certainly not an expert in the field, but I plan on doing an immense amount of research over the summer and reaching out to experts who have done this kind of work before.

What unique qualities or perspectives do you bring to this position?

I’m the first woman to have this role; I’m, I believe, the first openly queer person to have this role; and I’m also, I believe, the first certified teacher. It’s these personal and professional experiences that allow me to bring in an entirely different perspective. … My goal is to make Peacock Players feel like Peacock Players, but also bring my own perspective and experiences and education with me so that we’re building something new while honoring what has always been.

What are you looking forward to most?

Theater is a learning experience for everyone involved; whether you’re the director or the stage manager or a performer, you are learning. You’re learning about how to work with others; about their strengths and where they need support; about how to create a piece of art together; about how to take direction and how to give direction; about how to be a leader and how to be a follower in appropriate ways. That type of learning is just so incredibly valuable. I’m really excited to take … my experiences as a teacher in the classroom and facilitate a totally different type of learning.

Featured photo: Elle Millar.

Samuel Habib discusses new disability documentary

Transitioning to adulthood comes with some unique challenges for Samuel Habib, 21, of Concord, who lives with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. In My Disability Roadmap, a documentary he co-directed with his father, local filmmaker Dan Habib, the two set out on a journey around the country to interview disability activists about how to live boldly as an adult with a disability.

What is it like being a young adult living with a disability?

I don’t like that sometimes people talk to me like I’m a 3-year-old. My genetic disorder has made it more difficult to drive my chair by myself and use my communication device. The biggest challenge for me is getting into the homes of my friends and family members. Sometimes, I also get too tired to stay up late, so I miss out on going to bars, parties and dates at night. But I’m proud to be a part of the disability community, and I have an awesome team of support people with me every day.

What is your goal for the film?

My goal for the film is that people won’t talk down to people with disabilities. I want everyone to know that people with disabilities demand respect and rights, and I want other young adults with disabilities to have the same opportunities that I’ve had for health care, inclusive education, college, assistive technology, jobs, making friends and independent living. I want people to learn from disability role models. I want to help people learn how to live a full life with a disability as they transition to an adult by focusing on all the possibilities of relationships, work, education and disability rights.

How did you choose your interviewees?

They were people I looked up to. They are good advocates and role models for kids and young adults with disabilities. I wanted to ask them about their transition to adulthood to help me and others be successful. Success can be defined in many ways. These are just people I wanted to have as mentors.

What was the most challenging part of creating this film?

Setting up and getting all of the interviews done. We had to fly or drive a long way for the interviews. On our flight to Indianapolis, they turned my power wheelchair on its side both ways, and it got damaged both ways. On our trip to D.C., we had a six-hour flight delay, and another passenger talked down to me like I was a 3-year-old. On our NYC trip I had a seizure. But we still got the filming done on all the trips.

What advice did you receive during your interviews that had an impact on you?

Maysoon Zayid, one of my mentors in the film, told me, ‘You are not alone. Find your community.’ That was powerful advice because I’ve always had a strong community, starting with elementary school. I’m continuing to find my community at college, in the disability rights community, at work and in my hometown of Concord.

What are you up to now? What are your plans for the future?

I am in college at NHTI, the local community college in Concord, working on getting my liberal arts Associate’s degree. I have been taking one class a semester and have a 3.0 GPA. This semester I’m taking English Comp Mindful Communication, and I also joined the Environmental Action club at school. I am thinking about transferring to a four-year college in the future. I have enjoyed meeting new people. I look forward to making more friends and maybe finding a girlfriend. I dream about getting married and having kids, making more films, and traveling around the country and the world. I want to go to the Football Hall of Fame, Mount St. Helens, a Florida Gators game with my cousins, London and Europe.

Featured photo: Samuel Habib.