Full Description
Disability studies have long been the domain of medical and pedagogical academics. However, in recent years, the subject has outgrown its clinical origins. In Freaks of History, James MacDonald presents two dramatic explorations of disability within the wider themes of sexuality, gender, foreignness and the Other. Originally directed by Martin Harvey and performed by undergraduate students at the University of Exeter, Wellclose Square and Unsex Me Here analyse cultural marginalization against the backdrop of infamous historical events.
MacDonald, who is cerebral palsied, recognizes that disability narratives are rarely written by and for disabled people. Therefore, his plays, accompanied by critical essays and director's notes, are a welcome addition to the emerging discourse of Crip theory and essential reading for disability students and academics alike.
Contents
Part 1
Critical Essays
My First Playwright
Julian Meyrick
Director's Notes
Martin Harvey
Crisis, Cruelty and Curation: Staging 'Freakish' History in James MacDonald's Wellclose Square and Unsex Me Here
Jessica O'Hara
Part 2
Playtexts
Wellclose Square
A Performance Text
Unsex Me Here
A Performance Text
