Translating disability on stage: resistant performances
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Abstract
Translation in its many forms, as an interlingual practice, as well as a social and human practice, plays a central role across and beyond geographical and cultural borders, as well as across social categories. Theatre translation, including self-translation, deserves further attention as a powerful form of identity construction and an opportunity for artists to make their voice heard. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach, combining translation studies with disability and performance studies approaches to disability and disabled performing artists, I will focus on the performance I got 99 problems, palsy is just one by the activist comedian Maysoon Zayid. Zayid ironically challenges predominant narratives and prejudices about disability by self-translating her “defective” disabled body on stage. Her performance, available online in 42 languages, has acquired broad political significance, due also to her commitment to safeguarding the rights of persons with disabilities.
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