The lights dim.. the room becomes quiet… the curtain opens.. and the show begins. These are the moments John and Jeanne Ehn look forward to at the Civic Center in Des Moines, IA. The couple has a long history of appreciation for the theater and have been Civic Center season ticket holders for almost 20 years, making the drive from Marshalltown to Des Moines on Sunday evenings six times a year to enjoy a show. But when John suffered a stroke in December 2023, the Ehns thought they would be saying goodbye to their beloved tradition.
“I never dreamed we would be able to use our tickets again,” said Jeanne Ehn, John’s wife. “We thought we would have to give them up.”
And that was exactly what they were planning to do until their Civic Center tradition came up in a conversation with a therapist at On With Life, the neuro rehabilitation facility in Ankeny, IA that John was admitted to following his stroke. When Music Therapist Amy Bishop asked why they wouldn’t be returning for another show, the Ehns admitted that with John now in a wheelchair, they didn’t see how it was possible. How would they navigate the theater crowds, or make their way to their regular seats? Amy, however, knew just how possible it was, and began creating a therapy plan for John that would result in an outing to the Civic Center.
“I explained that there were several things we could do within our music therapy sessions and/or with physical therapy to prepare for them to attend the show,” said Amy. “My intention was to empower and build confidence in John and Jeanne, to demonstrate to them that life can still move forward in the most meaningful ways.”
Alongside John’s dedicated therapy team from On With Life was the Civic Center, more than willing to work with the Ehns to make not just this particular outing, but all shows, a possibility for the couple. They moved John and Jeanne’s regular seats to an accessible area, and even invited them, along with his therapy team, to the theater prior to the show so they could get comfortable navigating the space.
“Des Moines Performing Arts is dedicated to bringing communities together through the power of shared experiences and live performances. Central to this, is a commitment to accessibility,” said Johnathon Brendemuehl, director of communications for the Des Moines Performing Arts. “We are constantly challenging ourselves to find new and better ways for folks to share in the magic of a performance.”
The trial run at the Civic Center did just that for John and Jeanne. They headed downtown on a weekday afternoon with Amy and another therapist from On With Life so they could practice parking and traveling from the parking garage, find and try out their new seats, and map out where the accessible restrooms were. Together the teams from On With Life and the Civic Center helped the Ehns walk through how they would be able to do this on their own and by the end of the afternoon, John and Jeanne felt ready and excited to attend ‘Funny Girl’ the following Sunday evening.
The theater outing went just as planned. John and Jeanne were able to get to the theater and to their new seats just as they had practiced and enjoyed their first on-stage production in months. Amy joined them just in case they needed assistance, but stayed in the background throughout the night so the Ehns could enjoy the experience on their own. Amy’s support meant the world to John and Jeanne, and it is because of all she did for the couple that they now feel ready to truly do it on their own.
“We are going to go on,” said Jeanne. “On With Life has taught us a lot of that and while we knew that was going to happen, the extent and means has been incredible.”
John and Jeanne think back on that Sunday evening at the Civic Center with big smiles on their faces and a few tears in their eyes. While the theater has always been a place of magic for them, this experience was extra special. No longer afraid of the obstacles ahead of them, John and Jeanne look forward to continuing their tradition for years to come.