That Uppity Theatre Company

The Uppity Theatre Company, which has been “creating performance and working for social justice since 1989,” is known for thought-provoking show themes, like gay rights, gender issues, racial justice and also inclusion (thanks to its DisAbility Project). This award-winning inclusive company of teens and adults primarily travels to school, organization and community events throughout Missouri and Illinois to perform their “disability rap;” theater shorts, such as ‘Hello’ about a child who wants to say hello to someone in a wheelchair; and dance pieces, such as ‘One World’ about the prevalence of disability internationally and, thus, the need for supportive inclusion. Further embracing a global perspective, the company has hosted visitors from abroad who wanted to study Uppity’s inclusive techniques.

“We create our work from scratch as an ensemble based on story circles, dialogue and improvisation; although, we also commissioned a disabled-version of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” producing artistic director Joan Appell Lipkin tells AmeriDisability, adding, “We have performed for over 100,000 people and our work is included in the permanent collection of the Missouri History Museum. And we are one ofthe first and oldest companies to focus on disability in the country.”

Photo above courtesy of That Uppity Theatre