The Untold Story of Deaf Theater

0:04 ALIX It’s 1988 and the world shifted.

0:10 ALIX I was watching the news and found myself glued to television,

0:15 ALIX unable to look away.

0:17 DAYMOND When I came here to Plano, Texas.

0:20 DAYMOND that was my first experience with Deaf theater.

0:25 DAYMOND The goal of Deaf theater DAYMOND is

0:28 that it's all accessible for everybody through sign.

0:31 ALIX It’s that moment.

0:33 ALIX That moment when the world shifted, became something more.

0:34 ALIX That moment when the world shifted, became something more.

0:39 ALIX Reporters were tuned in.

0:41 Newspapers flooded the world.

0:44 DAYMOND Come closer together now, and chant..

0:45 DAYMOND Deaf.

0:46 President.

0:47 Now!

0:47 DAYMOND Get closer together.

0:48 ACTORS Deaf.

0:50 President.

0:51 Now!

0:52 PROTESTERS Deaf.

0:53 President.

0:54 Now!

0:55 DAYMOND For this “Deaf.

0:57 President.

0:57 Now!” showcase, DAYMOND there are so many different scenes.

1:01 DAYMOND We're trying to come up with ways DAYMOND to support all the actors.

1:08 DAYMOND Which is really what DAYMOND inspired me

1:11 to write the script DAYMOND for the “Deaf.

1:14 President.

1:15 Now!” showcase.

1:22 DAYMOND It's kind of like with this showcase

1:25 DAYMOND we're trying to teach DAYMOND and inspire

1:29 others DAYMOND how to become heroes in the Deaf

1:31 community from the Deaf President Now protest.

1:33 DAYMOND We can be our own hero.

1:36 DAYMOND We can change our own path.

1:39 DAYMOND Because seeing the Deaf President Now protest happen,

1:43 DAYMOND impacted and inspired all of us.

1:53 DALE I mean, for Deaf President Now protest,

1:54 DALE Deaf students were ready to have their own

1:57 identity DALE as seen in their own president.

2:00 DALE But then what happened?

2:02 DALE The board decided to pick a woman who did not even know how to sign at all.

2:07 DALE They've realized that in the 80s, DALE many Hearing people DALE were

2:12 still oppressing and suppressing DALE Deaf people.

2:20 CATHY Not that.

2:22 CATHY Is it lined up?

2:23 CATHY Is this lined up with that down on the floor?

2:28 ALIX Yes.

2:29 CATHY Good?

2:30 Perfect.

2:30 CATHY All right, go ahead and staple it in.

2:34 DAYMOND For me to have access into that Hearing world,

2:37 DAYMOND I’m always having to say...I'm Deaf.

2:39 (And they always say) “That's cool!

2:41 That's cool!” DAYMOND And then, when I try to be involved,

2:44 DAYMOND (They continue to say) “Yeah!

2:46 Yeah!

2:46 Yeah!” DAYMOND I'm like, well, no,

2:51 I'm interested in DAYMOND getting access to an interpreter.

2:55 DAYMOND Which means I have to understand...

2:57 DAYMOND their goals, their intentions, and I have to try to match them.

3:02 DAYMOND Which makes it hard for me,

3:05 DAYMOND that I have to meet their expectations.

3:11 DAYMOND I can't speak for all other Deaf actors out there,

3:15 DAYMOND because maybe they had a different journey than I did.

3:20 DAYMOND But I can share one challenge that we all have in common.

3:27 DAYMOND And that challenge will always be accessibility.

3:36 AMBER I'm really hoping that AMBER Hearing people that don't

3:40 have as much AMBER education and experience in our world,

3:44 AMBER can get a glimpse of our heart AMBER and our abilities.

3:50 AMBER We are preaching AMBER a little bit about our culture, our history,

3:56 and what it is AMBER to have our Deaf heart and our abilities shine.

4:04 AMBER And so I really hope we have the audience for that.

4:18 SOUND ENGINEER Maybe?

4:20 DAYMOND I can't hear anything.

4:22 I'm Deaf.

4:24 DAYMOND They can hear more than I can.

4:27 SOUND ENGINEER You can hear it?

4:29 DAYMOND I'm Deaf.

4:29 I can't hear anything.

4:35 HAILEY Well, we've been students

4:37 at the TCC HAILEY interpreting program for like,

4:40 two years now, so Day Day has done...

4:43 HAILEY Daymond has done a couple of plays now,

4:45 and we've been to them to see them.

4:47 HAILEY We've just never been involved.

4:49 HAILEY And then this one, we were just like, we should do it.

4:51 HAILEY It'd be fun.

4:52 And it and it's fun.

4:53 FAIRY This is one of his more relaxed showings

4:56 for people who are kind of new to it.

4:58 FAIRY This reflects deaf culture a lot,

5:00 FAIRY but it is interesting to see somebody perform sign language FAIRY

5:03 because it adds an extra layer of emotion that wasn't there before.

5:06 FAIRY It's incredibly beautiful, and personally,

5:08 I think the English translation of FAIRY it doesn't do it justice.

5:12 HAILEY No, it's not even close.

5:14 DAYMOND We have to show how we're doing it DAYMOND with our facial expressions.

5:20 DAYMOND I mean, body language DAYMOND

5:22 and your facial expressions DAYMOND are your words.

5:26 DAYMOND INTERVIEW Your eyes,

5:28 DAYMOND INTERVIEW your mouth movements, your eyebrows...

5:31 DAYMOND INTERVIEW how you move your body.

5:34 DAYMOND INTERVIEW The goal of the words have

5:36 to be analyzed and taken apart to find the meaning.

5:39 DAYMOND INTERVIEW The director of artistic sign language DAYMOND

5:42 INTERVIEW will help the Deaf actors translate the English words

5:44 from the script DAYMOND INTERVIEW and teach how to understand

5:47 the words DAYMOND INTERVIEW in the language that it is.

5:50 DAYMOND So the actors work with the director

5:54 DAYMOND to take the body language and the English

5:57 language and consider the stage DAYMOND to figure

6:00 out how to make that all into one picture.

6:03 DAYMOND So it looks good.

6:05 DAYMOND It feels good.

6:09 DAYMOND I want to see it.

6:11 DAYMOND Put it on.

6:15 DAYMOND Remember, you're that little train that could.

6:18 DAYMOND I think I can.

6:19 I think I can.

6:20 I think I can.

6:20 Choo!

6:21 Choo!

6:26 SYMANTHA It’s actually cute!

6:30 REBEKAH because we understand each other.

6:35 REBEKAH We can hold each other accountable...

6:37 REBEKAH for cues and stuff.

6:41 REBEKAH I remember one show REBEKAH there was

6:45 a half-Deaf cast REBEKAH and a half-Hearing cast.

6:47 REBEKAH Half of them didn't know sign.

6:50 REBEKAH I had to pretend that I understood them.

6:54 REBEKAH But all I saw were their lips

6:59 moving REBEKAH and I’d make faces like this.

7:04 DAYMOND The goal is always for DAYMOND everybody

7:07 to feel welcome here at the Deaf theater.

7:09 DAYMOND I feel like...

7:12 DAYMOND I'm at home.

7:24 DAYMOND This is my favorite picture.

7:26 APRIL Let me see.

7:28 APRIL That's cool.

7:29 DAYMOMD That's from California, DAYMOMD from before you were born.

7:33 DAYMOND Look at this picture.

7:35 APRIL Oh, I see your hearing aids.

7:39 DAYMOND We had the hearing aids in our ears and an FM system,

7:42 DAYMOMD but it was a box that was strapped to your chest

7:45 DAYMOMD and then it would connect to your hearing aids.

7:47 DAYMOND But I didn't like it.

7:49 It was so big.

7:50 APRIL It looks so big.

7:51 How does that fit your ear?

7:53 DAYMOND I know my ears are small.

7:55 APRIL I see that.

7:57 DAYMOND It connected to the teacher's microphone DAYMOMD so I

8:00 could hear what the teacher was saying, but I didn't care.

8:02 DAYMOND I didn't want to wear hearing aids all the time,

8:04 DAYMOMD because if there was any background

8:06 noise that was loud, it was distracting.

8:07 APRIL Especially if you're having a conversation with one person,

8:09 APRIL you don't want to be distracted by the background noise.

8:12 DAYMOND If somebody banged on the door or dropped something,

8:14 it felt like I was hearing DAYMOND that sound in my head,

8:16 like a drummer in my ear.

8:17 DAYMOND There were compartments for the FM systems DAYMOND that we

8:20 had to put them in so that they would charge overnight.

8:23 DAYMOND I would take some of the FM systems and disconnect the batteries.

8:27 DAYMOND The next day we'd show up and they'd be dead.

8:29 DAYMOND So I didn't have to wear it that day.

8:31 APRIL So you didn't have to use it?

8:33 DAYMOND Yes.

8:34 APRIL You were a horribly bad kid.

8:37 DAYMOND No, I was an angel.

8:46 AMBER A wave out to the side.

8:48 AMBER There you go.

8:49 One, two.

8:50 AMBER Back to the front, three.

8:52 AMBER And then we want your arm, AMBER your fingers to just barely touch.

8:57 AMBER Start twirling.

9:02 JESSICA That’s too close.

9:05 JESSICA You don’t want that to be touching.

9:11 ALIX My best friend's coming.

9:13 ALIX A lot of my coworkers are coming.

9:15 ALIX A lot of people I know within the community.

9:19 ALIX The Deaf (community) is very small.

9:22 ALIX So as a result, every time that there's a Deaf event,

9:26 ALIX you're always going to see somebody that you know there.

9:39 BRITTANY You're in row D, seat 13 and 14.

9:43 AUDIENCE MEMBER So 13 and 14.

9:45 BRITTANY Yes, 13 and 14 is on the left hand side.

9:47 BRITTANY When you walk in, you'll be able to see it.

9:50 DALE Congratulations!

9:51 Very proud!

9:54 DAYMOND I’ll be right back.

9:57 DARRELL We have a big vision at the North Texas Performing Arts.

9:59 DARRELL We believe everyone should have the opportunity DARRELL for the profound

10:02 experience DARRELL of taking the stage and having their voices heard.

10:06 DARRELL Daymond has created some very unique messages DARRELL where

10:08 he's telling a story not just to the Deaf community,

10:10 DARRELL he's telling a story to the hearing community.

10:13 DARRELL He's helping open up our eyes to the challenges,

10:16 the difficulties, DARRELL and the opportunities for those in the Deaf world.

10:21 AUDIENCE MEMBER They told me they have interpreters,

10:23 AUDIENCE MEMBER so I thought, oh, okay.

10:24 (AUDIENCE MEMBERS IN DIALOUGE) Is this your first time learning ASL?

10:27 AUDIENCE MEMBERS IN DIALOUGE Yes, I just recently started losing my hearing.

10:31 AUDIENCE MEMBERS IN DIALOUGE So I’m just now learning.

10:35 DARRELL What we learn in our lives is everybody has a special story to tell,

10:38 DARRELL and there are unique stories DARRELL and challenging

10:40 stories and stories that we can all learn from.

10:44 DARRELL Good evening.

10:46 DARRELL Good to see you all.

10:47 DARRELL Thank you all for being here.

10:48 DARRELL Thank you for being here DARRELL and thank

10:50 you for continuing to be a part (CATHY INTERPRETING

10:50 FOR CAST) and thank you for continuing to be

10:51 a part (CATHY INTERPRETING FOR CAST) of supporting our shows.

10:57 ALIX For 124 years, we thrived ALIX through seasons...

11:04 ALIX of pain.

11:07 ACTORS ON STAGE Deaf!

11:11 President!

11:12 Now!

11:15 DAYMOND For the dinner table syndrome scene,

11:23 DAYMOND I want to show what happens when a Deaf person is sitting

11:27 at the table DAYMOND and all the Hearing

11:29 people there are having conversations around them.

11:31 DAYMOND They are laughing,

11:33 and the Deaf person is trying to catch these little bits,

11:35 DAYMOND and are always asking what was said.

11:38 DAYMOND The Deaf person is trying to catch

11:39 these DAYMOND small scraps of the conversation,

11:41 DAYMOND and they're just left not understanding.

11:44 DAYMOND The Deaf person asks their parents

11:46 to interpret what’s being said at the table, DAYMOND and the parents always say,

11:49 “I'll tell you later.” DAYMOND And then it's always later...

11:55 DAYMOND But why later?

11:57 DAYMOND I want to know now.

11:59 ALIX Dad, you want me to learn ALIX

12:01 how to become an independent ALIX lady, right?

12:06 ALIX Do you not think I'm capable of being an adult?

12:09 ALIX Do you not think I can't still achieve

12:12 ALIX all the things you wish that I could?

12:15 DAYMOND I'm going to make sure

12:17 that the Hearing people DAYMOND watching the “Deaf.

12:20 President.

12:20 Now.” showcase DAYMOND understand and they go DAYMOND “That's how you

12:26 felt this entire time?” DAYMOND And the Deaf person will go,

12:29 “YES!” ALIX In this season, ALIX I’m breaking free.

12:36 DAYMOND You can't just expect for us DAYMOND to do all of the work.

12:41 DAYMOND Give me access to all of you.

12:44 DAYMOND We work ten times harder DAYMOND

12:49 to be able to communicate with everyone.

12:51 ALIX I am Deaf.

12:53 ALIX And I am...

12:53 ALIX proud.

13:01 CATHY You were loud.

13:05 ALIX Thank you.

13:06 DAYMOND As a deaf person,

13:07 you go looking for your own home DAYMOND that's on the same level,

13:11 DAYMOND same communication, empathy and understanding.

13:15 DAYMOND Finding someone who can sign with you,

13:18 DAYMOND so you can feel that connection.

13:22 LIGHTING ENGINEER We’ve got to wait for the birds.

13:26 PLAY Mommy, why are the birds on the telephone line PLAY being so jumpy?

13:34 PLAY Well, that particular line is a TTY line.

13:39 PLAY That's what's making the birds jump so much.

13:44 DAYMOND It’s time to educate.

13:47 DAYMOND So I wrote the script DAYMOND to share that story.

13:57 FAIRY Daymond ran backstage during intermission,

14:00 FAIRY and we heard that a lot of the audience members were crying.

14:03 REBEKAH Feeling great!

14:06 REBEKAH Yeah.

14:10 REBEKAH I just wanted to connect with them.

14:13 REBEKAH To be impactful.

14:14 REBEKAH To really influence them and help them feel the message.

14:18 AUDIENCE MEMBER You know, in our family,

14:21 that dynamic of I'm Hearing and she’s Deaf.

14:23 AUDIENCE MEMBER Seeing that dinner table scene,

14:26 AUDIENCE MEMBER that was our family.

14:29 AUDIENCE MEMBER I’m proud of you.

14:31 DARRELL Everybody has a story to tell.

14:32 DARRELL That means that you have to think about DARRELL

14:34 communities that otherwise wouldn't have that opportunity to take the stage.

14:38 DARRELL And it's so absolutely critical, that we hear those voices.

14:42 DARRELL In doing that, we make ourselves better.

14:44 DARRELL We become better people, we become more whole.

14:47 DAYMOND Thank you.

14:48 DAYMOND Did you enjoy it?

14:52 DALE We don't want to forget DALE what we went through before,

14:57 DALE because history can repeat itself again.

15:02 We want to keep teaching DAYMOND You are not alone.

15:09 DAYMOND We are with you.

15:12 DAYMOND You are not forgotten.

15:16 DAYMOND We are here together.

15:20 DAYMOND The legacy I want to leave behind DAYMOND is to support and encourage.

15:28 DAYMOND To pass on my candle flame...

15:32 DAYMOND and let that spread DAYMOND to the rest of the community.