Blind since birth, Shayla Brown is an advocate for better representation of the visually impaired. The 18-year-old actress is racking up credits across stage, film and TV — and now, she's making her Toronto stage debut.
She’s a Taylor Swift fan with a particular fondness for the pop star’s 2010
For Brown, working at Crow’s has been instantly formative. “My favourite moment was getting to use the set for the first time,” she says. “The rehearsal space was very different from the set, which has a lot of wood. I couldn’t really imagine how that would feel until I was there.”her service dog, Libby. “She’s not onstage with me,” Brown says, “but she helps me get from one place to another. When I’m rehearsing, she’s lying in the corner. It’s surprised me how chill she’s been.
Brown says her visual impairment has prompted conversations among her and her collaborators on how best to address her needs. “I think that the most important thing is to not be afraid of it,” she says. “Don’t be nervous to ask the big questions, the hard ones. As long as you ask in a way that’s polite and sensitive – it’s only going to make the story better.”