Sunday, October 16, 2005

Support Deaf West Theatre

Back in January, I had the pleasure of watching Deaf West Theatre's production of Big River. They produced a show that contained both deaf and hearing actors, doubling some character parts to much success. As a result, the show was more visually stunning than its original production and gave me a greater appreciation of my ability to hear and the beauty of American Sign Language.

I had the most memorable & enjoyable theatre-going experience than I had in quite a while...comparable to when I went to a musical for the first time and when I saw my first Broadway show. When I got home, I immediately logged on to the web, and looked for the next Deaf West Theatre production I could watch.

Nine months later, that opportunity came. Tonight, I saw a play commissioned by Deaf West Theatre, entitled Open Window. It was about a young man who had been locked in the basement by his father for 12 years, and two women's attempt to introduce him into the world. Although the play was heavy on scientific terms, it proved to be a moving piece that I hope will be produced by more theatres in the near future.

If you live in Southern California, I encourage you to make the trek to the Pasadena Playhouse, to watch this wonderful piece of theatre. If you can't make it in person, you can always contribute to their effort through their website. Theatre needs to be made accessible to all...and Deaf West Theatre is essential to make this goal possible.

1 comment:

lisa said...

Big River was a great production! I'll have to try and catch Open Window...soon!