Jez Colborne of Great Britain is wrapping up a long run of his one-man show, "On the Verge: An American Odyssey," about his Route 66 tour on the back of a Harley-Davidson.
Colborne has Williams Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that can create learning difficulties, coordination problems and elfin facial features. Colborne is a musician and runs a theatre, Mind the Gap, for disabled actors.
More from the story on the Barnet Times in England:
His epic motorbike journey came about because of the openness he believes is inherent to America. In the driver's seat on Jez's motorbike was Mind the Gap's artistic director, Tim Wheeler, and riding alongside them was theatre designer and film director Jonathan Bentley. The three men bonded over the weeks and as Jez played the harmonica and chatted to anyone and everyone, he absorbed the atmosphere of the country.
"The whole spirit of America, it's being free and just enjoying yourself," he says. "Nobody glares at one another. Any weight that was on my shoulders just disappeared. The people are just really open.
"Britain is a bit closed to some people, that's what I feel. Going to America, it was really lively, friendly and welcoming."
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Jez has a big personality and this is vital for the kind of show he performs in "On the Verge." The setting is Jez, a solitary bar stool and a screen on which the film of his trip in October 2004 is shown. From New York, along Route 66 from Chicago to LA, via Oklahoma and Monument Valley, the audience travels with Jez as he encounters storm chasers and massive landscapes over 3,000 miles.
Here's a Web site about Colborne's play and theatre company. Here are photos from the production. Here's a photo album from his Route 66 trip.