It’s not uncommon to see neurodivergent characters in films, novels, and TV shows, but for Saskatchewan actor and writer Nathan Coppens, that portrayal almost always felt off.
Coppens, a Saskatoon and Area Theatre Award nominee who was diagnosed with ADHD in his early 30s, wanted to present a more accurate version of neurodiversity. The result was ‘I Have No Idea’, a play adult ADHD with original music written by Coppens.
“It’s not trauma porn,” Coppens said during a phone interview. “It’s meant to be accurate. There’s moments where it’s funny and it’s all this. People will see themselves and see loved ones and friends and co-workers represented honestly, and get a better understanding of it.”
Coppens also stars in the play, along with Kristel Harder, while Listen to Dis’ Community Arts Organization founder Traci Foster directs. The play is on its third tour, and with the next stop scheduled for the Prince Albert Public Library on Friday.
“When you see a lot of disabilities, ADHD included, represented in the media, we’re talking major movies or whatever, it’s usually not accurate,” Coppens explained. “All three of us have it (ADHD), and we want it to be accurate and honest. That’s been at the forefront.”
Coppens journey to being diagnosed was a long one. He didn’t even consider the option until a friend he was touring with suggested he might have ADHD, and encouraged him to look into it. His friend had been diagnosed a few years before.
“She said, ‘I think some of this is similar to me,’” Coppens remembered. “I started learning about it and learning beyond the stereotypes of what it is…. All that learning about it and learning about myself and then trying to get help and the struggles and all that stuff with that and then eventually getting help was what kind of led to me writing the play.”
Coppens said ‘I Have No Idea’ was written to help people understand adult ADHD. He not only drew on his own experience, but also interviewed several people who were diagnosed with ADHD as adults, including his co-star Harder. This list included people who found out in their 20s, to one person who was diagnosed in their 60s.
“If you think of the stereotypical case with ADHD, it’s a boy bouncing off the wall in school, and that misses a lot of people,” he said. “A lot of people aren’t boys or they present differently, so it’s a range of things we didn’t understand at the time.
“That was the impetus to start it, to go, ‘wait, people don’t understand what this is,’” he added. “It’s very topical right now, but I think it’s topical because it was missed for so long.”
Although the topic could be frustrating, Coppens said he enjoyed writing the play. There were some rough patches as the script grew and grew, and Coppens began to wonder if anyone would even want to read it, never mind view it. However, he’s happy with the final product.
“In some ways I had a lot of fun writing it,” he said. “It’s a fun play. There are serious parts and there are funny parts. It was good to write about it. It was cathartic.”
‘I Have No Idea’ will be performed at the Prince Albert Public Library on Friday, Oct. 11. Showtime is 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults, and $25 for students and artists. There is a Pay What You Will option for residents facing financial barriers.
For more ticket information, visit www.eventbrite.com or intheheadlights.ca.
