“We received feedback from more than a few audience members who stutter,” said Co-writer and licensed and practicing speech-language pathologist and speech teacher in New York City Schools Emily Loesser. “They were visibly moved and thanked us for telling this story. Just as Vince's book has meant so much to so many, we are hoping that this new iteration will as well. We hope that people from the stuttering community will feel seen, heard, represented, and understood. We hope that SLPs will understand that self- acceptance is an important part of therapy.”
“I will share my stuttering journey as long as I am able but am also adamant that we are so much more than our speech impediments."
For Emily, her work on Paperboy clearly impacted her work as an SLP. “Treatment for stuttering has undergone a dramatic shift in the last ten years,” she said. “My conversations with Vince as we worked on the play has underscored this evolution. As Vince told me so simply, ‘Stuttering happens when we are trying not to stutter.’ As a therapist to speak of a ‘cure’ or to talk about ‘eliminating’ stuttering isn't helpful. Rather the focus in therapy should be on maintenance/management and helping the client find self-acceptance. This means talking about stuttering openly, addressing client's feelings about their speech, and helping the client find their unique voice. That's what the show is about.”
Seeing his work come to life on stage was a revealing experience for Vince. “Although I’m a novice to musical theater, I could quickly tell that the stage could tell certain truths that would be impossible in the book,” said Vince. “I was proud the story was told so responsibly.”
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