LAKEWOOD - Donna Gunnison is about as tall as a toadstool. But she stands mighty high on the stage.

"I've always had the acting bug," she said.

She wasn't just bitten by the acting bug. She has no immunity whatsoever.

She has been in almost every PHAMALY - Physically Handicapped Actors and Musical Artists League - production that puts on Broadway plays with physically or developmentally disabled actors.

Gunnison, 52, has Prader- Willi Syndrome, which can cause shortness and soft muscles as well as difficulty concentrating, among other things.

"I'm 4-feet-5," she said. "But I don't have weak muscles anymore. Sometimes I get lost in my thoughts."

So even though her mind may wander, she's totally focused on stage. Fellow actors said her comedy timing is right on.

But it's not all plays for Gunnison. She works at a department store.

"I work in the shoe department," she said. "I look at the label and match the size, color and style of shoes. It's a very tricky job."

She's also on Social Security, and lives with her mom.

"I'd like to move out on my own," she said. "If I had the money, I would."

So she works. She works out some. And she performs on stage.

She plays a bunny in Urinetown, the Musical, which will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays until Aug. 19 at Space Theatre in the Denver Performing Arts Complex.

Information: Phamaly.org.

"Even though it doesn't sound good, people should see what it's like," she said. "You shouldn't judge a play by its name."

Gunnison was born in Orlando, Fla., and lived all over because her dad was in the military. She has lived in Colorado for more than 40 years. She graduated from Jefferson High School in 1975. She has gone to vocational-rehabilitation courses through the Jefferson Center for Mental Health and the Developmentally Disabled Resource Center.

She has been a longtime member of People First, a nonprofit that advocates for those with physical and mental disabilities.

"I want to give back so I don't feel guilty about taking somebody else's money," she said.

Acting has helped her grow.

"It's helped with my extemporaneous speaking, like I'm doing now," she said. "It helps my memory - memorizing lines. It helps boost my confidence."

Asked what she brings to each performance, she answered quickly.

"My innocence," she said. "I radiate a different kind of beauty."

Acting also has helped her focus on what she can do, rather than what she can't.

"I'm really strong and powerful when I'm on the stage," she said.

"People like me get overlooked a lot because of birth defects. Getting on stage, people see my abilities."

Massarog@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5271.

Back to Top