Legally blind actor plays Santa on Sudbury stage
Veteran actor Walter Learning lost vision over the past 5 years, but has found ways to stay on the stage
These days veteran stage actor Walter Learning can't just read a script to prepare for his roles.
Learning, who will play Kris Kringle in a production of Miracle on 34th Street at the Sudbury Theatre Centre, has macular degeneration and is now legally blind.
The New Brunswick actor started to lose his eyesight about five years ago. The condition forced him to stop driving and made it impossible to read.
"I've had to find completely new ways now over the last two or three years to work on the stage," Learning said. "I have a wonderful program on my computer called Natural Reader. Any text file it will convert to speech."
Miracle on 34th Street plays on stage at the Sudbury Theatre Centre until Dec.14.
CBC Sudbury's Up North radio program host Jason Turnbull spoke with Walter Learning about adapting to acting without his sight:
