About | Glitch Theatre

Glitch Theatre creates contemporary, compelling performances driven by D/disability*-identified artists.

We create disability-led work in which D/disability itself is often not the focus but the landscape upon which we explore universal issues. Our projects challenge stereotypes and resist expected narratives, push boundaries, and ask critical questions. We build community, creating spaces where emerging and experienced artists alike can share stories that need to be heard.

We commit to growing the canon of plays written by artists with D/disabilities via the development of new work. We seek to explore innovative new forms including audio, video, and interdisciplinary art. We prioritize accessibility not only as necessary, but as creatively generative.

We work toward a diverse and barrier-free performing arts world that reflects the full spectrum of not only D/disability but lived human experience.

We value:

Authenticity and nuance in representing D/disability;

Innovation and elevation in content, medium, and aesthetic;

Accessibility and inclusivity in process and presentation;

Respect and care in every practice, always.

Studio portrait of Glitch staff - Adam, Jordyn, and Shawn.

* In the introduction to Disability Performance in Canada, Editor Jessica Watkin writes: “When Disability has the capital D it is referring to the political identity and community of Disability.” According to the CDC, the lowercase d typically refers to the medical definition of disability, as in “any condition of the body or mind that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to perform certain activities and/or interact with the world around them.”  

Written as D/disability, the term allows space for either or both identifications according to personal preference.

Past & Future

Glitch Theatre was founded by James Sanders in 2003 under the name “Realwheels”.

During his third semester in theatre school, James became quadriplegic from a spinal cord injury. After a year of rehab, he returned to school to complete his training – and found society’s attitudes toward a person with a disability far more difficult to navigate than any physical barriers.

In 2003, he and long-time friend Bob Frazer set out to change society’s perceptions of disability with a new play that challenged audiences to consider the fullness of characters with disabilities in (literally) new theatrical dimensions. They invited playwright Kevin Kerr – along with some of Vancouver’s finest theatre professionals, including Roy Surette and Sven Johnson – to collaborate on the company’s first production: SKYDIVE. The play went on to become a national hit.

It led a charge to cast authentically on the landscape of Canadian theatre. For James, that meant ensuring that characters who used wheelchairs were actually wheelchair-users, and not just actors playing the part. Thus, Realwheels (“Real Wheels”) was born.

When James left to pursue other projects, Managing Artistic Director, Rena Cohen, stepped in to move the company forward. Over ten years of Rena’s direction, the company increased focus on community programming and accessibility advocacy. A successful run of community projects ultimately led to the launch of The Academy in 2021. The program welcomed its second cohort in 2025, and continues to be Canada’s only professional performance and creation program specifically targeted at artists who identify with D/disability.

With the launch of The Academy, Rena stepped aside to make room for new leadership, and the company found its current leadership: Shawn Macdonald, Adam Grant Warren, and Jordyn Wood. After 20 years as Realwheels Theatre, the trio lead the evolution of the company into what it is now; Glitch Theatre.

The new name broadens and expands the notion of D/disability beyond physical disabilities, to create a more inviting company that welcomes the full spectrum of D/disability experience, and to continue innovating and pushing the boundaries of performance and accessibility. This evolution reflects the company’s commitment to being a home for all D/disability-identified artists.

Staff

Adam Grant Warren (he/him)

Co-Artistic Director

Now based in Vancouver, Adam Grant Warren was born and raised in Newfoundland, Canada. He started writing professionally in his early twenties, as a radio columnist for the CBC Morning Show.

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Shawn Macdonald (he/him)

Managing Co-Artistic Director

Shawn Macdonald has worked with Glitch Theatre in many capacities over the years – he facilitated the creation of Wheel Voices Tune In, our community show in 2020, was the acting instructor for the Academy, and most recently directed the digital production In Camera in the Spring of 2022.

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Jordyn Wood (they/she)

Company Producer

Jordyn Wood is a Vancouver-based theatre artist and producer with lived experience of disability. Their practice has been intentionally varied, jumping from devising to playwriting to directing to producing and arts administration.

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