Cassandra Hartblay publishes stage play on disability in Russia

CERES faculty member Prof. Cassandra Hartblay has published an original ethnographic stage play, I Was Never Alone or Oporniki, which is based on fieldwork conducted in Russia with adults with disabilities. The core of the work is the script of the play itself, which is accompanied by a description of the script development process, from the research in the field to rehearsals for public performances. In a supporting essay, the author argues that both ethnography and theatre can be understood as designs for being together in unusual ways, and that both practices can be deepened by recognizing the vibrant social impact of interdependency animated by vulnerability, as identified by disability theorists and activists.