Wednesday, October 21, 2015
If a Deaf Musical Is Possible, There Is Room on Our Stages for Everyone
AMERICAN THEATRE: t was two decades ago, in a small theatre in a downscale, Hollywood-adjacent neighborhood in L.A., that I first saw the work of Deaf West Theatre. It was a straightforward, and straightforwardly shattering, production of Marsha Norman’s ’Night, Mother, performed in what even then I understood was a well-worn, even tired convention: Deaf performers acted in American Sign Language onstage, while speaking actors in a sealed booth behind us quietly piped the dialogue into headsets for the hearing among us. Still, I was transfixed; as I wrote in a review at the time, Deaf West’s ’Night, Mother was “more beautifully crafted and moving than most hearing productions” of the play.
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I always think it’s fascinating how it is often the art that is so different from the average that tells us where we are with the mainstream art. This production and others like it remind me an the the author of one of the reasons I love theatre. “We are keeping the lights on and making payroll for one reason, and one reason only—to create as many moments as possible in which a young person (or really, any sort of person) can have an epiphanic moment of recognition, of piercing empathy, of soul-shaking laughter.” I think this is true of all great storytelling art forms. In the end the truly boundary shattering, and generation inspiring art shares this goal. Our stories aren’t just here so that we can have fun making them. There needs to be so much more to them in order to be truly great. Sometimes though it takes the odd show out to show us how it is truly done.
The lack of disabled people in the Broadway world is pretty frustrating. I do not think the community is flat out excluding people with disabilities, I think it just sort of happens based on roles and the strictness of casting. Casting directors are looking for a certain type of person to fulfill a certain role. A person in a wheelchair is at an extreme disadvantage because they are not able to dance or walk around like other people. Some people would think it is odd to see Grease and have the person playing Sandy be in a wheelchair. I feel like people think they can only have a person in a wheelchair in their show if they are trying to make a statement or they are marketing the show as being inclusive of people with physical disabilities. Many Broadway houses are not accessible at all, which is a little ridiculous. My brother is in a wheelchair and I wanted to bring him backstage at Amazing Grace this summer and I couldn’t because there were steps at every entrance to the backstage area and the spaces were also very tight. I understand that most Broadway houses are old and accessible construction is a newer thing, but it was still not fair that he could not even come backstage for a tour. I hope one day people with disabilities are given more opportunities in theatre.
When the question of disabled actors comes up, the reason most people give for the constant exclusion is simply that acting is a medium in which the body is the tool, and the body needs to be in peak physical condition in order to execute works to their fullest extent. According to that school of thought, the body and senses are non negotiable if a person wants to make theatre. Productions like Spring Awakening prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that that is not true. Theatre does not only tell the story of the able bodied. A person with any disability is just as full as the need to tell stories as anyone else, and the idea that they might not be capable is ludicrous and close minded. I hope to see more works of this kind in the future, because if roles of a certain type don't already exist, we need to make them.
I love that more theatres are including all people, especially ones with a disability and not making fun of it, but taking it in and accepting disabled people as people. It’s so cool that there are shows that use ASL as the dialogue because I never even knew it was possible to put on a show using sign language. I just assumed that deaf people had to get subtitles for a show to go see it an understand it. But thinking about the productions that the Deaf West Theatre are putting on, it makes me wonder how they deal with people who sit on the sides who are deaf and so can’t see the actors as they sign if they are facing the opposite direction. Do they have the actors almost always face the front? Because that seems really awkward and not conducive to making a production that is more moving than the spoken one. I’m really interested in this, especially because they said the production was a musical. How does that even work?
Having read the article last week involving the Deaf West Theatre and now reading this one and discovering all that they are doing to bring these two wonderful worlds together to broaden the impact theatre can have on the world, it makes me happy to have found such a wonderful and ever giving art form that has almost no limits. Not only are these productions providing those who are deaf the opportunity to get introduced to live theatre, but it is also giving a completely new experience to those already familiar with the usual type of theatre. No two productions are alike and now, adding this element to theatre, there are many more interpretations for us to enjoy and learn from. The diversity that is created through the Deaf West Theatre gives me hope and excitement to see what diversity the future stages will hold.
So Spring Awakening is not my favorite musical. I think it has a great deal of things wrong with it. The music for it is definitely catchy, but that is close to all it has going for it. That being said, doing a deaf production of Spring Awakening is such a good idea and I am so glad that it is becoming a big deal. Of all the shows to be done in American Sign Language, Spring Awakening would definitely be my first pick. The style of the movements, the intricate hand motions and the punk style of the songs just fits together so well. If I ever get the opportunity, I would love to see this in action. Doing a musical in this way is definitely a good tactic for keeping the audiences engaged. If someone was passionately signing to The Bitch of Living, I don't thing I would be able to take my eyes off of them. Theres definitely a visual draw to the act of signing. This is definitely something to take advantage of in other musicals as well. Perhaps a deaf production of next to normal or some other passionate rock musical. I can't wait to see what is in store for the future of this style of theater.
I have commented on almost every article about Deaf West on this blog. I love the portrayal of Deaf culture in theatre. I really look forward to seeing how Spring Awakening does because Deaf theatre has never really been something accessible to a mainstream audience. This isn't for a lack of content, there are so many songs and poetry and plays in ASL available online and in our community. Heck, Pittsburgh has Deaf and Hearing centers. Deaf culture isn't hard to find. It's just rare that the public's attention is drawn to this material. It's nice that Deaf West is being seen.
I also want to comment on the placement of the interpreter in the video that is linked to the article. It is so rare that the interpreter is included in the camera shot. It is really great to see his translation of the speech as well as hear the speaker's words. This placements also highlights the differences between ASL and English. ASL is much more expressive in body language and facial expressions. When the director was up there talking about getting the phone call asking him to work on the production of Big River, he said something along the lines of "I was shocked" and the interpreter, for that portion of the sentence, had gone through I was on the phone with (insert name I can't remember here) and he said "will you direct this show?" and I ..." at this moment the interpreter decided the best way to translate the shock was to remove the phone hand from his ear, look at it, and mouth the word "what" in bewilderment. It's a small action, but it made my day. In most videos you just don't get to see that.
Theatre is constantly evolving, and I think it's amazing that theatre is now expanding to include performers with disabilities. Most people would be skeptical about how well a musical with deaf performers would work, but Deaf West's Spring Awakening is proving that it is possible. This production is showing other theatre companies and producers that a show like this can be both beautiful and financially successful. Theatre is such an incredibly expansive art form, and it should be accessible to as many people as possible. Deaf West is opening so many doors for so many performers who probably previously thought they would never get to act professionally, much less on Broadway.
Even though I might consider myself an artist who cares and actively thinks about diversity, I’m not sure I would have an idea like this. The thing I appreciate about Deaf West’s mission is that it came from a completely real, undiluted place of caring and thoughtfulness. They were not trying to make buzz for the sake of making buzz. If they are trying to make buzz, its so more people can see these performers and getting a more realistic look into how their lives work and progress. This brand of thoughtfulness is so so rare, especially in the theatre community. The desire to be represented is coming from every different angle, it’s so loud that so few people are ever actually heard. The quiet, yet strong, spirit of the Deaf West Theatre and community is one that should be experienced by everyone interested in real life, practical equality. The thing that is so embarrassing about our society’s relationship with the disabled, is that we often feel so incredibly uncomfortable, that we might push them away.
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