Theatre Passe Muraille is opening its iconic red doors with a new presentation festival, #BeyondTO that brings three intimate stories from outside of Toronto.
#BeyondTO opens with Scored in Silence by Chisato Minamimura (UK), A Theatre Passe Muraille presentation of a Chisato Minamimura production in collaboration with VibraFusionLab which runs May 5 – 7. The festival closes with Bâtardes by Jade and Chloé Barshee, A Théâtre Everest Production Presented by Theatre Passe Muraille on May 28 – June 4.
In between, on May 12-21, #BeyondTO welcomes the Governor General Award-nominated play Crippled by Paul David Power and directed by Danielle Irvine in a production by Power Productions presented by Theatre Passe Muraille.
The Toronto debut of Crippled has brought a welcome opportunity to profile Power, a St. John’s- based disabled artist. In late September 2013, Power’s life changed forever when his same-gender partner of nine years died unexpectedly. Crippled was inspired by Power’s own turmoil, having grown up with a disability, suffering the crippling effects of grief – and facing the challenge of moving forward. The story follows Tony, who finds himself at a crossroads on the waterfront in St. John’s Newfoundland. Tired and grieving, he believes there is only one way to escape a life that he no longer wants to live. His mind is made up . . . until a stranger appears who has other plans.
Power, who is both the playwright and a performer in Crippled, lives with a physical disability. While his identity is no longer deemed uncommon, it still finds relatively little representation in art. So while workshopping the play in St. John’s NL, Halifax NS and Moncton NB, Power conducted table reads, which included community discussions about diversity in the arts. The end result, submitted to the Canada Council for the Arts, was “Crippled: Atlantic Region Table Read & Community Discussions Final Report”. The report illuminated several issues that impact the representation of persons with disabilities in local theatre in the Atlantic Region, and these findings almost certainly have national relevance.
With his acclaimed autobiographical play, Power has delivered valuable social insight and an unforgettable piece that speaks to his personal experience as a disabled artist, while exploring the universal themes of love, death, life and redemption through a voice that should be centred in the mainstream. SesayArts had the opportunity to sit down with Power to discuss Crippled and the broader challenge of authentically representing disability in the arts.
SM: Let’s start with you. What would you like us to know about you?
PDP: I studied English drama at Memorial University so of course all the classics and contemporary work have inspired me.
SM: Why did you choose a life in the arts, especially theatre?
PDP: I think I was always wanting to tell stories and perform. Writing was what I really did well in school with, and public speaking. I remember as a kid [performing] different shows in the backyard and in our basement for our parents. So yeah I think that was always within me. Did I think I could make a full-time living at it? Not really, but the opportunities and guidance and support from so many people has made that happen, and I’m very grateful.
SM: How difficult was it to take your experience of loss and grief, and delve into it to create Crippled?
PDP: For those who don’t know about the play it’s about a character stuck in grief after losing his partner. I lost my partner Jonathan in 2013 suddenly. It really was and is a struggle with grief and loss. As an artist I needed to express that grief through creativity.
For the first couple of years I wrote a lot of poetry and journaling. The way Jonathan passed, there was so much I still needed to say and hear, so I started writing dialogue as a way to come to peace with that. After a while what I started off as just a personal project developed into a full-length play.
I think I always had in my mind to perform it once it was being developed because it was my story, and I wanted to share it. It really turned out to be a cathartic exercise. As well, it was important to me that disability was present on stage.
SM: Did you expect Crippled to resonate as widely as it has?
PDP: Every time we have performed the play I have had people come up to me after and tell me how well I captured a grief journey and how it resonated with their own grief. And shared their personal stories. I value that the plat is able to reach so many in that way.
SM: Congratulations on being shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Awards for Crippled! How did this recognition feel, especially for a play that seems especially intimate and personal?
PDP: Thank you so much. It’s really an honour to be in the company of such talented writers across the country.
SM: How has this recognition affected your work and career?
PDP: The recognition means a lot. Sometimes you’re not sure if your work has impact beyond your immediate community for circle of friends. Many people who had seen people initially knew my story or knew me. This recognition really helps my self-confidence as a writer and an artist.
SM: Your company Power Productions is a compelling advocate for greater representation of disability in the arts. How difficult has this advocacy been? Have you seen greater representation over the years?
PDP: There has been greater representation over the years especially in larger sectors like Ontario and out west. It’s more difficult in More rural sectors because there are less supports and networking opportunities. People all seem to want diversity, but when it comes to production for new projects, diversity always seems to be an afterthought. We’re in a time right now that people are respecting diversity and wanting it, but I’m not quite sure how to achieve it. Having people with that lived experience participate in policy and production planning is the solution.
SM: What advice do you have for artists and companies for achieving greater and authentic representation of disability, on and off the stage?
PDP: I would challenge companies and artists to do their research. There is so much information out there now about accessibility and there still might be so many accessibility support in technology and approaches than ever before. We still have a long way to go but the first step is to put careful thought into how to make a piece more universal and to present at peace to a Universal audience. That means striving for diversity all the time, not just when it’s called for. Also to recognize true inclusion can’t be achieved Unless you have the right people around the table from the start in the way of production and audience design and outreach.
The advice I would give is to have the right people at the table while you were trying to achieve accessibility and diversity. Nothing is more valuable than that lived experience and sharing that experience with those who are making decisions. As well it’s important to foster growth and representation at the leadership level to ensure resources such as theatre design, grant And other financial support meet the needs of everyone.
SM: The final word is yours. What question do you wish to add that I didn’t ask?
PDP: I think Crippled is a great commentary on how far we have come into GLGBTQ+ community. There was a time that I play about someone losing their same sex partner would not be seen on our stages. Especially the experience of someone with a disability sharing their sexuality and experiences.
Reserve tickets to Crippled here.
© Arpita Ghosal, SesayArts Magazine, 2022
