A Place for Everyone at Branford's Legacy Theatre

Growing up in Norwalk, Dana Canevari’s family often took her to see plays and musicals on Broadway. The first time she saw the curtains go up on Barnum, she was hooked.

“I’m in love with the theater,” she said. “I think it’s miraculous.”

But Canevari, a walker user, had long hesitated on taking the stage herself.

Canevari said she was in a dark place when she finally met the co-founder of Branford’s Legacy Theatre, Stephanie Stiefel Williams.

“I said to her, ‘Listen, I want to act.’ And Stephanie goes, ‘There’s a place for everyone on the stage.’”

Since then, and with support from The Community Foundation, Canevari is a full-time member of the Wheel Life theatre troupe at Legacy Theatre, where she has acted in several plays. 

“This has given me a reason to live: these nice people, the fact that I’m able to help others and to express myself,” said Canevari. “It’s been like something out of a dream. I'm grateful to be here and grateful to everybody that's helped and been nice to me. They've taken away my boredom and ennui and melancholia.”

A 2024 grant from The Community Foundation helped fund full scholarships for members of Legacy Theatre’s Wheel Life troupe, as well as its Conservatory Apprentice Program, which offers hands-on experience with all aspects of theatre production, from performance to production design. In addition, the theater was recently renovated to broaden access to thespians and theatre-goers with physical disabilities or vision impairment.

The grant was made possible by unrestricted funds along with two funds established by bequest to benefit people with disabilities or vision impairment,  the William C. Barclay Fund, created in 1956, and the Eugene M. Blake fund, created in 1970. 

“No applicant was turned away due to financial need, directly fulfilling the goal of equitable access to arts education,” said Anne Runolfsson, Legacy Theatre Development Director.

Tom Mullaney, a lawyer and trained opera singer, was one of eight conservatory apprentices in 2025.

“We studied a lot of different things,” he said. “I learned something about building a stage, decorating a stage, about the different schools of acting. It was an incredibly world-opening and genre-opening experience to be able to see how things work behind the scenes.”

During his apprenticeship, Mullaney was selected to understudy for Kurt Fuller in Legacy Theatre’s mainstage production of Noises Off, earning his first professional theater credit.

For Runolfsson, Mullaney’s and Canevari’s experiences exemplify Legacy Theatre’s mission of arts accessibility. “By centering accessibility both on stage and in our facilities, Legacy Theatre advanced its mission to be a cultural home for all, where artistry and community thrive without barriers,” said Runolfsson.

“People will tell you to stop dreaming, but I dream every single day,” Canevari said. “What else have we got except hope?”