Bipolar Badass tells the story of Mari struggling to accept her diagnosis of Bipolar II disorder at nineteen years old. She uses the metaphor of her bipolar as a fire breathing dragon passed down through genetics. Her late grandmother whose life was never the same and endured unethical medical treatment (including electric shock therapy) hands her the dragon’s leash. Mari has no desire to be chained to a terrifying fire breathing dragon for the rest of her life. Which is, inevitably, her fate.
“This is yours now.” “But I don’t want it?” “Neither did I.”
Faced with the realization that fear gives away her power, she embarks on a journey to find ways to control her fire breathing dragon. She has a choice: look her dragon in the eye and try to tame it, or look for a place to hide as it burns down everything she is. In this dark comedy, Bipolar Badass shares a journey that began 12 years ago of trying to reclaim identity in the face of adversity.
If we have power over fear, what is there to be scared of?
“In ‘Bipolar Badass’ Mari Crawford has created a space beyond her show for a new conversation to be held about bipolar disorder and the portrayal of mental illness in the media. In this, she crafted a powerful testament to the human spirit and reminded us that our struggles do not define us, but are a part of the mosaic that makes up the human experience. ‘Bipolar Badass’ is a must-see for anyone seeking to better understand the complexities of mental illness and for those who want to have their experiences seen, in what is finally a realistic portrayal of mental health.”
- InvitedNYC
TRAILER
“Bipolar Badass brings honesty and humor to what it's like to live with bipolar disorder--and its many public and media misconceptions. Mari captures the trial and error of diagnosis, the impact of mental illness on loved ones, and the importance of self-acceptance. A must see!”
-Matt Kudish, CEO, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) NYC
At the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Mari won the Bounce Emerging Artist Award, awarded to the most outstanding neurodiverse creative at the festival. Bipolar Badass first premiered at the 2023 Asheville Fringe Festival for two sold-out performances, followed by a fundraiser performance at the West End Theatre in NYC.
Bipolar Badass’ successful ‘23 EdFringe run included: being interviewed by BBC WorldWide to be featured in their segment on shows about mental health, Broadway World’s Pick of the Program, chosen to be one of the Top 10 Picks of Disabled/Neurodiverse-Led Shows, a 4-star review by the Neurodiverse Review, and a featured published blog post for the Fringe Review.
The (now former) First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf wrote to Mari personally congratulating her on winning the Bounce Emerging Artist Award on the official Scottish Government letterhead. "Your show ‘Bipolar Badass’ showed real strength and was very well received…congratulations on your much deserved success…I wish you all the best as you go forward and hope you make it back to the Fringe.”
As the winner of the Bounce Emerging Artist Award, Bipolar Badass headlined the Bounce Arts Festival at the University of Atypical in Belfast Northern Ireland, a disabled-led arts charity that takes an empowerment-based approach to supporting disabled people’s involvement in the arts.
In NYC, Bipolar Badass sold-out the Off-Broadway Theatre Row as a part of the United Solo Festival and was given an encore performance. Bipolar Badass then won its second award for Best Autobiographical One-Woman show at United Solo, the world’s largest solo theatre festival. The show also received a five star review.
Mari then partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) NYC. Bipolar Badass at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) NYC was a volunteer performance, all tickets were reserved and on the day of the show standing room needed to be accommodated. The CEO Matt Kudish said of the performance “Bipolar Badass brings honesty and humor to what it's like to live with bipolar disorder--and its many public and media misconceptions. Mari captures the trial and error of diagnosis, the impact of mental illness on loved ones, and the importance of self-acceptance. A must see!”
The second sold-out Off-Broadway performance of Bipolar Badass was at the Soho Playhouse.
Per Humza Yousaf’s request, Bipolar Badass is making it back to the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe. It is being performed at theSpace UK venues (August 11th-16th @ Niddry Street & August 19th-23 @Triplex Studio).
The show is currently being refined and developed with mentorship and assistance from John Clinton Eisner, founder of The Lark and Steve Schalchlin, the creator of The Last Session. It is directed by Nadiya Atkinson. See full team bios.
“This show is a beautifully presented window into Mari’s own private world – a world forever changed by this scary and disorientating diagnosis….This dazzlingly bright-eyed young woman has a charm all her own – a vivacious energy that fills the stage….This show is an impressive feat of vulnerability, wit, strength and sheer hard work… The sky is the limit for this talented young star. Mari is a powerful role model for anyone struggling with a Bipolar diagnosis and the painful challenges it brings.”
-Neurodiverse Review, Edinburgh Fringe
PRODUCTION PHOTOS
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) NYC, July 2024
The Vault at Paradise Green, Edinburgh Fringe, August 2023
Bounce Arts Festival, University of Atypical Belfast, Northern Ireland, October 2024
Off-Broadway United Solo Festival, Theatre Row, April 2024
BeBe Theatre Asheville Fringe Festival, March 2023
Off-Broadway Soho Playhouse, September 2024
“Shows talk about isolation and mental health,
but Bipolar Badass shares the trauma of Mari’s own individual past.”
-BBC World Service
AUDIENCE REACTION VIDEO
“Bipolar Badass showed real strength and was very well received.”
-Humza Yousaf, Former First Minister of Scotland
“I make myself extremely vulnerable in Bipolar Badass. I go to some of the darkest moments in my life to tell my story... I believe difficult things are always more digestible through humor.”
Mari Crawford (Writer, Performer, Producer, Publicist, Marketing)
Mari has spent seven years of marketing working in sales, PR, and freelance social media management. She is the CEO of Overview Effect Marketing. Through the skills she acquired from her experience she has been able to spearhead all aspects of promotion, content creation, website development, video editing, filming, interviewing, booking venues, coordinating with box offices, hiring photographers, organizing technical requirements, and production of Bipolar Badass including raising and securing funding. She hopes to not do this all alone for much longer. See full bio.
Nadiya Atkinson (Director)
NADIYA ATKINSON is a director, visual artist, and writer. She works in the intersections of mediums and has developed work from physical theatre to ceramics at the O’Neill Theater Center, Guapamacataro Center for Art and Ecology, Williams College, the Bechdel Project, the Connelly, Artshack Brooklyn, and the Edinburgh Fringe. Nadiya has studied at the National Theatre Institute in Advanced Directing, Sorbonne Nouvelle, and with Complicité. She graduated Williams College with a B.A. in Theatre with Honors as a Hutchinson Memorial Fellow, Ruth Scott Sanford Fellow, and Wilmers Student Thesis Fellow. She's currently training at École Jacques Lecoq.
John Clinton Eisner (Story Consultant)
JOHN CLINTON EISNER is a stage director, dramaturg, producer, and story consultant for theater and media. For three decades he was Artistic Director of The Lark, a play development center and think-tank for the theater based in New York. Currently, he is President of Peacedale Global Arts, supporting writers in their creative process through international and intercultural exchange, and Creative Producer in Residence at En Garde Arts, a national innovator in site-specific, community-based theater. He has worked with hundreds of award-winning writers including Katori Hall, Tina Howe, Sam Hunter, David Henry Hwang, Arthur Kopit, Rajiv Joseph, Martyna Majok, Mona Mansour, Dominique Morisseau, Sarah Ruhl, Robert Schenkkan, and Lucy Thurber. Recent projects include “The Wind and the Rain” in Red Hook, a play commissioning program at Silk Road Rising in Chicago, multilingual playwriting residencies in Transylvania and Portugal; and three plays in the 2025 Under the Radar Festival.
Steve Schalchlin (Story Consultant)
STEVE SCHALCHLIN is an award-winning composer of three Off-Broadway shows including “The Last Session.” He’s been a consultant on numerous cabaret and club acts in New York City.
Funding for this project has been made possible by donations from the following co-producers:
Robert S. Gregory, Roger Meyer, Ken Nahan, Christina Bruun-Horrigan, Christine Bishop Crawford, Robert Gregory, Rebecca Reisman, Barbara Wescoe, Eli Burgard, Leslie Piper, Sophie Maerowitz, Valerie Parker, Sharon Hawkins, Ken Silverman, David Edwards, Onyi Okoli, Jed Koball, Treasa Nealon, Shirley Struchen, Andrew Downs, Jean Ann Karfo, Josie Parker-Blue, Robert Manders, Kate & Don Parker-Burgard, Jacob Parker-Burgard, Zach Ho, Sean Smith, Rosy Doud, Julie Parker, Bill Crawford, & Edward Rosen-Wallberg.
All production, PR, social media management, & promotional material has been done independently. If you are interested in contributing to this project and have expertise in any of these fields please contact mari.grace.crawford@gmail.com.