Rebellious Bodies and Radical Acts: Deaf and Disabled Artists Raise the Curtain on Cripping the Stage - Paperback

by Alex Bulmer (Editor), Debbie Patterson (Editor)

A revolutionary anthology of essays and dramatic works by contemporary Disabled theatre artists

Rebellious Bodies and Radical Acts brings together some of the most innovative minds working in the realm of Disability theatre today. Through essays, poetry, interviews, and critique, these artists pull back the curtain on the creative process, revealing how they engage in the practice of performance. As Disabled people, their bodies and abilities defy the status quo, lending their exploration of this embodied artform an essential and overlooked perspective.

Each writer brings their expertise as an artist to the task of defining what is most urgent, compelling, and relevant in the ongoing evolution of their artform. The centrepiece of this book is the complete text of Alex Bulmer's Perceptual Archaeology (or How to Travel Blind), a richly layered exploration of her experiences travelling across differing geographies and unexpected emotional terrain. Other writers share excerpts of their work, including Niall McNeil's Beauty and the Beast: My Life, Debbie Patterson's How It Ends, Audrey-Anne Bouchard's Camille, and more.

These bold artists are pressing in from the margins, demanding a new era in the creation of live performance: one that engages a broader scope of lived experience, one that embraces Disability as opportunity, and one that welcomes the adventure of travelling in the unfamiliar.

Available in accessible digital formats.

Author Biography

Debbie Patterson is a playwright, director, and actor. Trained at the National Theatre School of Canada, she was a member of the Acting Company of the Stratford Festival in 2023. She is in demand across the country as a consultant on crip aesthetics/accessibility and as a dramaturge versed in disability aesthetics. She lives a wheelchair-enabled life in Winnipeg (Treaty 1).

Named one of the most influential disabled artists by UK's Power Magazine, Alex Bulmer is an award-winning writer, actor, director, and educator with over thirty years of practice across theatre, film, radio, and television. She is fuelled by a curiosity of the improbable, dedicated to interdependent practice, and deeply informed by her experience of becoming blind.