Listen to this post:

I first heard about Jess Thom several years ago talking about Backstage in Biscuit Land. For that show, Jess delightfully warns audiences, “having Tourettes means I’m neurologically incapable of staying on script, and that’s where the fun starts.” While Jess also uses the name Touretteshero, please don’t mistake her for the one-dimensional Super Crip stereotype. She’s a hero for focusing not on how she performs “despite” her disability but on how her work is what it is because of her disability. She uses the arts and storytelling to turn our attention to social barriers, ableism, and why on earth disabled people are expected to adapt and conform to non-disabled life even when it’s not possible. Any type of inclusionism insists that there’s a right way to exist and a not-so-right way to exist. Because the people with the most power in an institution or group are the ones who write the inclusion rules, the people who’ve been excluded don’t really have a say in how the inclusion goes. And usually, they’re not even allowed to have an argument about the roots of exclusion and why maybe let’s don’t do that thing where we both exclude people and avoid paying attention to why they find that exclusion so horrible.

Jess advocates for and hosts relaxed performances. At one of these, you can break the strict rules of theater etiquette and politeness. But it’s not about breaking rules. Really, it’s about asking why experiencing a performance by making your own noise and moving around has to be considered disruptive, and sitting still and silent has to be considered polite. Again, ask yourself who makes up the rules about what’s considered polite, rude, disruptive, nice, uncomfortable, or any of it. And ask yourself who gets left out of making these rules.

If you’re in the Portland area, it’s your chance to fill your cup with Jess Thom, and I urge you to do it! Thanks to Boom Arts and Disability Art & Culture Project for putting together and sponsoring the events. And here they are.

STAND UP, SIT DOWN, ROLL OVER: Boom Arts presents four one-of-a-kind evenings of highly irreverent stand-up from one of Europe’s most distinctive voices in arts and disability justice, accompanied by performance and conversation programs featuring local and visiting artists.

May 4, 5, 11, & 12 at 7:30pm at Echo Theater
1515 SE 37th Ave.
On TriMet lines #75 and 14
Tickets $12 and up at www.boomarts.org

Guest artists:
Friday, May 4: Jan Derbyshire, Vancouver-based artist and comedian and facilitator/consultant for Canada’s Deaf, Disability, and Mad Arts sector
Saturday, May 5: Portland’s own Disability Art & Culture Project, Artistic Director Kathy Coleman, and the Inclusive Arts Vibe Dance Company
Friday, May 11: Portland-based multidisciplinary performance project Wobbly Dance and documentary filmmaker Cheryl Green
Saturday, May 12: Portland-based performer Little Clown Big Shoes plus TBD

• All events are “Relaxed”: move or make sound as you need to
• Wheelchair-accessible venue
• ASL interpretation provided
• Audio Description available on May 5th
• Scent-free: please refrain from using scented body care products
• All are welcome

Here’s the Stand Up Sit Down Roll Over flyer!

FREE Additional Activities (no registration required):

Heroes of the Imagination (workshop): Echo Theater, May 6th, 2:00-5:00pm. An afternoon of FREE, fully accessible, multi-sensory, drop-in superhero-themed activities for D/deaf, disabled, and non-disabled children (and their grown up sidekicks). It’s created and facilitated by Touretteshero.

Laughter, Access, Diversity, & Inclusion: Jess Thom, Changing the World One Tic at a Time: Central Library, May 6th, 6:00pm. A talk by Touretteshero’s Jess Thom presented in partnership with Multnomah County Library & Disability Art & Culture Project as part of the Dis/Representation: Evolving Disability Conversations series.

I plan to be at nearly every one of these things, and I hope to see tons of people there.