Rebellious Bodies and Radical Acts - by Alex Bulmer & Debbie Patterson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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 disabled and Deaf artists pull back the curtain on the creative process, revealing how they engage in the practice of performance. As performers, their bodies and abilities must be used as the raw material of their craft. And as disabled people, their bodies and abilities are extraordinary, 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, cogent, or germane 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, and Audrey Anne Bouchard's Camille, among others.

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 the disruptions of disability as opportunities, and one that welcomes the adventure of travelling in the unfamiliar.

About the Author

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.