The far-off edge of things
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Date
2020-10-01
Authors
Page Jähne, Virginia
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Abstract
The Far-off Edge of Things is a full-length postmodern stage work for voice and multi-media which exists in a liminal space between Realism, Magical Realism, and The Absurd. This is a story about barriers to relationships, paralleling a story about barriers to accessibility, juxtaposed with a devolving story in which the non-disabled are disabled by environmental events. The vortex of the narrative challenges socio-political concepts and psycho-myths which continue to misinform ableist constructions of disability. Further, the play confronts the intersection of disability and climate change, a connection which may seem surprising until one realizes that persons with disabilities are disproportionately and adversely affected by climatic events as a result of their systemic exclusion from disaster planning. To that end, the setting is a catastrophic climatic event; rising water from sea ice melt in Hudson’s Bay causes a reversal of the Red River and creates a giant tidal bore which will imminently flood Manitoba. The play imagines this large-scale climatic event set against the small-scale human narrative of the protagonist, Morgan, a person with disability, and Giles, her partner and caregiver, who struggle, both literally and metaphorically, to keep their heads above water. Morgan, trapped in a malfunctioning lift while the flood waters rise, enters an Absurdist world when the crossed wires of the lift emergency phone connect her to an emergency measures conference room in which the attendees are focused upon building a ramp at ‘The Far-off Edge of Things’ for her, while saving themselves at ‘The Centre of Things.’ The play is followed by an informal critical essay explicating The Far-off Edge of Things and its construction, as well as the defence presentation.
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Keywords
Climate change, Stage play, Creative thesis, Theatre, Disability, Manitoba, Tragi-comedy, Red River, Winnipeg, Satire, Play, Humour, 2020, Politics