Life with dyslexia explored in Calgary performance: ’Nothing holds me back’ – Calgary

Alexa McGinn is sharing a personal journey on stage in her one-woman show “Celexia,” which explores her experience with dyslexia.

The Calgary artist and creator hopes the performance offers hope to others, and inspires them to keep going despite obstacles and juxtaposition in life.

“It’s about the love of words and my experience being dyslexic,” McGinn said. “And what that means when you love words, but you’re also being told that you’re medically bad at words.”

McGinn’s lines in her show include excerpts from the results of an evaluation she received when she was 11.

“I was diagnosed with the dyslexia and that was a bit of a shock,” McGinn said.

4:59Ask an Expert: Dyslexia awareness

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The information on the learning disorder that accompanied her evaluation is also part of the script for “Celexia.”

“I could not connect what letters sound like to how you spell them at all, and I really struggled with that,” McGinn said

“There were times when I was the odd one out.

“Teachers would forget my accommodations that I needed to succeed in school, so it was like this weird push and pull to get what I needed.”

McGinn’s perseverance in pursuing an education paid off. She went on to earn a university degree.

“I ended up going to the University of Calgary where I studied drama,” McGinn said.

She’s now promoting reading as part of her work life.

“I’m one of the lovely people you see in blue vests at the Calgary library system,” McGinn said. “I’ve started to learn a lot more about literacy and teaching young children to read, which is really cool.”

McGinn describes her show as “a celestial and autobiographical ode to words,” with the title “Celexia” being part of that theme.

“(Celexia) mixes the word ‘celestial’ with ‘dyslexia,’ so kind of embracing both things,” McGinn said.

McGinn will be performing “Celexia” from April 4 – 7 at the c-SPACE Marda Loop arts centre.

“I would love for people to walk away believing that anything is possible, understanding that there’s no such thing as an inability to do something, there’s just a different way of doing it,” McGinn said. “Nothing holds me back.”

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