Hartblay: I Was Never Alone

by Cassandra Hartblay

I Was Never Alone or Oporniki presents an original ethnographic stage play, 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.

218 pages, Paperback

Published October 7, 2020

Reviews

[Jude · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book with many facets, and as such can appeal to many people in a variety of ways. I am extremely impressed with the book as a whole, and not only because the author is a former student of mine. The incredible amount of work that went into the research and the creation of the play are only part of it. There is also the challenge of bringing this work to both the Russian stage and to the American one. How does one present the variety of cultures at play here: disabled vs. abled; American vs. Russian; ethnographer vs. subject?! The book is thorough on all accounts, and also offers directions and advice for presentation of the play produced here, as well as further similar ethnographic studies. Some of the discussion in the attached essay is written in academic form meant for specialists, but there is enough material so that everyone with any interest in the facets involved can find it fascinating. Kudos and an A+ to Cassandra Hartblay (now assstant professor at the University of Toronto.).