 Well this is going to be the first panel for this weekend and the purpose of this panel is to Give a snapshot of deaf theater and what it looks like today Where we are today and to identify the positive journey of where we're going in the future And we're going to talk about these issues and what needs to be talked about Now the panel itself will have the opportunity to engage with questions and answers time allowing of course But keep in mind we would like to allow time for everyone to be involved as much as possible Okay, so this is not a discussion. This is not a time for debate But this is a time from sharing your background and your experiences and your opinions in terms of what has worked And that is the purpose of this and this would be a great and keep this in the back of your mind This is a dialogue based on resource sharing and Mutual acceptance So come right on up Richard coats Michelle Banks I'm inviting all the panelists to the stage Okay, inviting all the panels up great come right on up. Actually. Yes. We will need a microphone Just making some accommodations Please stand by Alrighty then We've been introduced, but please tell us a little bit about yourselves. Let's start that way if we can start here And I just want to let you know that Ethan and I will be moderators. It's really not about us It's about the panelists. So please tell us about yourself My name is Richard Costas my pronouns are he is him I Am an actor actually if you'd hold just for a moment, please My pronouns are he is him make sure of all okay Yes, just stand by we're just making some additional accommodations Forget I I will start again. Hi My name is Richard Costas my pronouns are he is him. I am based out of Chicago I am an actor and accessibility consultant and advocate and a producer. I am deaf But I was raised hearing Hello, I'm Michelle Banks. My pronouns are she her hers. I'm from DC Again, I'm a producer director writer Educator I've done so much. I've done quite a bit of theater work recently. My last piece was directing a Raisin in the Sun at Gallaudet University along with Ethan So I thanks so much I have so much thanks to Ethan for taking a big risk to do this Significant play in ASL at Gallaudet. I think that's my piece. Hi. My name is Aaron Kelton And I grew up in Kansas Tended a deaf school there. I was exposed to theater very early on At the school for the deaf. I am a writer a director an actor a producer an educator I Would just I feel a very important aspect for all artists to have not to just maintain one field of Theater so it's a glomerate of all these different skills and I've been involved for over 25 years 35 years. I'm Nikki my pronouns are she her hers. I was born in Iowa, but I moved To Belgium. That's where my dad worked at the embassy my mother was a professional runway model in Paris and I always looked up to my mother as an artist My mother was also an interpreter as well who then became a model. I Remember being very very young I Remember eating so many delicacy French delicacies. I'm happy that's not part of my world so much just for health reasons But I remember being exposed to art when I was very very young in five six seven I went to an international school where I was mainstreamed graduated then moved back to Colorado And my mother encouraged me to either go to some deaf centric academic space I ended up at Gallaudet where I was not initially accepted Because of my sign production my sign speech because I was raised to use signed exact English as a modality communication So I took it in the chin quite a bit there But when I was in Colorado, that's when I was exposed to deaf West theater and NTD, right? Oh, yeah, some of you remember me in my days in New York. We now the connections are being made so It was with NTD And there's summer program there that I traveled to Florida to Disney performed there with a different internship program there Also, I went to the University of Northern Colorado Which I again I go to Colorado. I say Colorado is my home. I can't consider Any other space my real home? That's where I produced mostly in terms of deaf theater and I've benefited And I've all the proof of my labor has been in that space That's where my cash flow is that's where my resources are that's where My child was born. That's where I experienced all that I said that was significant about the birth of my child That's where the visions were changed. That's where ASL image imagination theater was produced And that's where the organizational development happened for those significant three years. I'm going to stop talking now Personal story. So could you share with us a bit more of a personal story about? Deaf theater specifically if you don't mind So as I mentioned earlier, I am deaf, but I was raised hearing I was raised in the community that where I was the only deaf individual there While I hadn't met a few other deaf people growing up but I never really connected with anyone until after I graduated college when My college asked me back to perform in a deaf production of a Willie Conny play called for every man Woman and child that was my very first experience with the deaf community and up until that moment I had always identified myself as hard of hearing as someone who Was more hearing than it was deaf But after getting the chance to work on this production to actually sit down talk and converse With other people who were like me it opened up this whole new Part of my identity that I had kept buried for many many many years and I am very grateful to that production I'm very grateful to theater for allowing me to embrace a part of myself that I had kept hidden for so long In the years that followed I had I tried to make it my mission to offer those Opportunities that I gained from working on that production to other individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing Sorry One of the things that I'm most proud of is about a year ago I performed in a production at Chicago Shakespeare theater and in that production I played someone who was very much like me someone who Primarily voice but understood a few signs So what I did was what we tried to do was try to show that there was a deaf actor on stage And we tried to show that even though he was deaf He could still exist in this hearing world and what made me the proudest of that moment was there was a Performance where in a tire school of deaf students came and Watched me perform and they were to sort of see that some sort of experience that I did the first time that I Performed on stage as a deaf actor in that they saw some of them was like them and Even though I have a tremendous amount of hearing privilege in that I voice primarily I was very glad to be able to show them that There are opportunities out there for them and so my personal journey has really been a kind of me using theater not only to embrace myself, but trying to find ways to Allow other individuals like me to embrace their aspects of identity on the performance stage And as I get older and as I start to step away from acting a lot and more towards producing more towards Accessibility work more towards advocacy and finding myself trying to create these opportunities for other Deaf actors other deaf individuals deaf designers and all these other people So that's why I'm very very grateful to be here today to learn from all of you. I apologize. I'm actually done now, so Why am I here? How did I get to the place where I am in theater today? I start to think about certain films. I think of the actress Sicily Tyson She's still kicking 94. I believe African-American actress She is so compelling and engaging and She made me know helped me to know that this is what I wanted to do My mother said that I could do anything I want. She's always supportive She never said that I could not do anything no matter what whatever opportunity was presented to me Upon asking my mom was always a support. So that's when I started my journey From the encouragement from my mother and the engagement of these critical impactful actors So after I graduated from MSSD model secondary school for the deaf course I had to consider what my next step was was it going to be in New York or DC? LA So my next academic step at that point was to go to New York Soon he purchased so I applied Got in but not without a hurdle There were two programs the acting program and the performing arts program which counter-intuitively or two separate different things. So I pursued the acting program I think there were several thousand students applying and only 30 could be Admitted I got a call back To audition again But they still just didn't know what to do with this deaf woman they didn't know what to do with me So I was not going to give up. I was certain that I was going to get in maybe through the performing arts program If I open myself up to the other aspects of art creation producing directing what have you and Get through that gauntlet Maybe I have a better chance and then this idea this notion of Creating a performing arts company or a theater company Came to me, you know, if I wasn't getting what I wanted and either other Spaces and I don't see any Folks of color who are deaf producing content. It occurred to me then that that's where the need is and It is an opportunity for those folks who have these great aspirations in theater To have a space. So there was an audience. There was a demand a market For this need that needs to be filled again not without struggle It's a high-stakes struggle and I was on my own to get it going Even though I yes, I do have community to support. I'm not going to dismiss that but being in New York It's heavily populated and lonely. You know It's a challenge. I Looked back at the days with some of my colleagues who I'm speaking to in the audience that it was not an easy row to hoe so We did establish an onyx company for 11 years, but it still didn't meet my dream I had my personal dreams and now I was doing so much for the community beat, but Where was my stuff? Where was my personal journey? So I left New York settled in LA Where I began to work with death West theater When Edward Street was there and what I wanted to do was bring in more Deaf folks of color deaf people of color and really start that get that going now looking back. I still Think that we need absolutely need more people of color. There are so many opportunities being misneglected I can't do it alone and certainly I'm not alone. There are Many of us out there There's so much diversity. There's such a range of possibility for deaf theater and so many stories to be told So many stories that are not being represented That need to be shown that need to be seen So we need deaf people of color involved in the theater Desperately and that's what I still see today. I Tell no lie There have been days where I want to call it in white flag stay home and do not a damn thing But no I keep going and I keep going I persist and There are folks that are expecting some things for me. So I got to show up There's a Congress behind me. So there you are Something here that is missing right now Some of you seen some of the stories that we are sharing here in terms of how they got into the industry I went into school when I was five years of age Kansas School for the Deaf Midwestern State had a theater program and At that time it was a prerequisite. It was not an option for all the students to go to there Either they went into theater or they went into sports or vocational training. There were no options So I had the experience of learning theater from the age of five That was my exposure and that's absent from the conversation today. Now we talk about the school. I Remember going home one time on the way home from school. I was crying you know because I wasn't able to go home because It really exposed me to theater and I didn't want to go home But I also knew that I was going to be involved and see Patrick gray bill at that time and Chuck Baird was to my left and then Julie Fleischberg was all around me. I had all these people inspiring me in my presence But still the school during the old days We're saying you have to go to voc training. You have to get a good education. You have to get a job You can't be an actor You won't be allowed to go into theater. That was the message that they kept bestowing upon me But then later on in life. I went to summer school For a summer program at the National Theater for the deaf and it was that opportunity That I realized it would change my life and knowing that I can change my course in life Because I've had that early exposure to theater in school and since then I continued to pursue that to this day I'm an artistic designer for Cleveland Sign Stage. I worked for National Theater of the deaf program and also worked for NTI day and These are some of the things that we have to think about when we talk about exposure early on To let people know that the ability is there and that they can And there is a pathway and a place to achieve your dreams to go where you want to go And that's about it in a nutshell for me. All right Do you have my shot my focus? So many similar similar points. I was in Europe mainstreamed my first big role was Helen Keller The first play I was in for our predominately hearing audience with an occasional Appearance and Godspell or you know as some peripheral role or A Midsummer Night's whatever you call it But anyway some peripheral roles, you know as a prop essentially something without lines And that's it. That was my early exposure all through high school But I'd been in the you know theater clubs and drama clubs I'd been to Stratford upon Avon and I'd seen the Royal Shakespeare company I'd seen I've been exposed to those space later on But it was until I came back to the States Specifically to Colorado and then also visiting Gallaudet Where I was exposed to those spaces and got that encouragement as Michelle did for my mother if it wasn't for that I wouldn't have been able to experience the things that I'd seen to be able to go to Gallaudet summer program To take that chastisement and go through that rites of passage there at Gallaudet I wasn't a member of the deaf community and I'd had some scars to tell you the truth that I didn't want to be a part of it I just wanted to be and do my own thing I'd already had my connections and the hearing community Why would I want to invest into this deaf community after certain experiences? So I was a little bit jaded So when I went to the University of Northern Colorado not knowing that there was a program there for deaf folks I Didn't realize how I could participate in some programs that Required speech and flexion articulation in terms of the course It was then that I was introduced to deaf West Theater as an option for me to develop those equitable skills As an actress but in sign language So I apply for deaf West summer program early 2000s There was an additional summer program in NTI D NTD NTD actually also I applied for both waited and I was selected for both. I was accepted to both programs and I was nervous Where's this gonna go? I? Went to the deaf West Theater program Concerned but I didn't meet Alexandria who's been lovely, but I was a quiet person I was not outspoken But that's where my life changed. That's where the paradigm shift happened That's when how I express myself changed. That's when I really emerge as A person whose language was ASL who was a visionary and visual as opposed to what I was doing Which was this contrived thing which was signing exact English So that was a big leap for me and the launchpad was deaf West Theater That allowed me then to begin doing work with NTD as an artist So that kind of work that foundational work with deaf West Theater Company Doing children's theater and expanding my palette of artistry there that's where that grounding work happened and I tell you without the deaf community I wouldn't have been able to develop those things so I thank you for the Being so forgiving of me as I developed the deaf community was so forgiving of me. That's where I developed my work now unfortunately I Wasn't accepted into the NTD summer program But there were some other opportunities in Colorado, and I don't necessarily have regrets now although I was disappointed at the time I did graduate from UNC going back to Colorado I became the artistic Director of a program that was to give it back to the community artists collectively giving back to the community and Getting individuals together who often are underrepresented But every person in those communities that participate in the program we're hearing and They were facing obstacles that many deaf individuals face in terms of economic actual obstacles and what have you Folks who are just not getting a break who don't have the economic circumstances to be exposed to certain kinds of art So during all of that development, I did take hiatus to take care of my child. That was one digression in time But I do know that that community program needed to be sustained It was a way of nourishing the community and how are they going to continue to be nourished and Get the opportunity to bring deaf individuals to this kind of programming. I got Involved back in the program to make sure that it was sustainable. That was would not Close thank you so much to Bella and three individuals. Why will actually name again who? helped me with the program the night mother program They labeled me as a founder. I've been called one of the founders I I'm on the fence about that honor because I Concerned about taking that honor because I was preoccupied with raising my daughter, but I Still had an interest in Supporting this programming the programming that had given me so much deaf West theaters program These other programs these other allies and individuals that I mentioned Bella Alexandria There are individuals out there that needed to see more like I needed to see more their eyes needed to be opened Like mine were open where the Deaf West theater company. So I was still invested although I was Still busy taking care of my family Somebody had to figure out so I hope that This happens for all of you that you figure it out and stay in the game regardless of what other life events happen Thank you. Thank you for your answers your responses now the next question Okay, there is a time limit So we're here for 445 450 when we get here that's going to go to the next Panel that we're going to speak about so the next question that I have and Please do not start answering until you see your name in the camera is on you on the screen Then you will know that is your prompt to begin your answers. Okay, so There's no pressure to answer these questions if you don't want to answer these questions or if you decide to answer the question We'll honor that So there may be questions you may not want to answer or may not But when we talk about the successful witnesses, you know in terms of deaf and deaf blind theater What was successful and what wasn't successful? What worked? What didn't work? What was someone of pros and cons? you know in terms of education and training and Productions and play development collaboration Advocacy activism, you know, so I'm going to give you a few moments to formulate your answer and then let's kind of take it Back about 20 years. So let's not go beyond 20 years But let's go back to within the last 20 years what the positive things that you've noticed that came about Okay, so I'll turn it over to you So go ahead In no particular order So looking back before my organization was established. I'm going back about eight years My work was very narrow It was Financially focused and a very specific community What I have to explore is how to engage both communities a hearing and deaf community and keep in mind being open and inclusive as opposed to Somewhat narrow. I didn't necessarily have to focus on a certain region or Colorado There are out-of-state opportunities there are interstate collaborations This is actually how I've met some of you Who maybe have similar goals but are isolated by state, you know And who's going to have the resource to come from one state to another? How are we going to get the East Coast and the West Coast together? Can we meet in the middle? Right. I'm getting some nods from the audience. I Have enjoyed the reciprocity of going across state lines To collaborate So I think that's one thing to keep in mind that the language is the determiner not the geography Not where you're at whereas the locale and the artistry does not have to be confined to the space But there's also video media as well in which we can cross these interstate lines So open your eyes and once you open your eyes in a visionary way, that's where the success emerges Let's hold and wait for the camera Okay, Brian. I think for the last 20 years one of the most important things that were positive was the invention of the internet Now even though some of us were late coming into it for example DJ a lot of the younger people Hashtag deaf talent social media Facebook Convo has some short videos made on their production. I think also some blogs are being made You know communication is becoming accessible in a positive way where I grew up in the dark ages sort of speak and I was actually dumbfounded to see that this technology Actually was a benefit in helping us get Information out there and learning from each other and sharing with each other So when we think about the time that I was involved with theater and we talked about how we're stepping up and changing And how the industry is evolving how we share this I still don't see enough of it You know in 30 years, there was none of it You know, we all traveled and each our own journeys, but we never crossed paths once in a while I would see my colleagues here ten years here ten years there We don't get to get together often enough and I feel that we need to see each other a little bit more often to share these positive experiences where we can set up these dialogues and That's my two cents that I want to put in there the invention of the internet Some of the positive the assets is that there has been a growth of opportunity Especially in the last 20 years more Broadway opportunities more regional theater opportunities for a deaf artist to work That's been great. And that's that's emerging still. I'm not saying we're there yet But absolutely we need more so much more. There's an appetite out there So much more I can't say that enough for the purpose of everyone who's here This kind of Convening shows the people that are available to do the work. We just need the work There have been workshops Monthly workshops that have been involved with they have been very successful acting workshops There are people that are passionate. They have learned so much and want to learn so much about the world There's so much that they had not known because the training had not been available Again, you mentioned some of the summer programs. Well, you know, where are they they haven't been sustained and what's left? You know, you have these programs the theater program at Gallaudet, but just because it's there doesn't mean it's enough. We need more Jade filmmaker from New York Matter of fact, she was one of the founders of the onyx theater company and I partnered with her I'd seen so much from her especially Being exposed to young actors that you just don't see, you know, you say to yourself Where did these kids come from where did all this talent come from? But it's out there and it's emerging and it's a good thing. I'm just saying we need more now Jade Brian. I see So many individuals like her in the DC area that are interested and they want to do this work And and I see the audience that are coming to my workshops my monthly workshops and they're saying they need more I see the need is there. So we need to have a canonized training Perhaps at your institution perhaps at your institution or your institution. Are there still programs at NTD? For the summer school you're referring to yes, the program is still active in Kansas Okay, let us know they got to be out there. Let's see where those programs are get them going again revitalize them If they're not as green and vibrant as they used to be Yes Now I'm trying to make this connected in terms of what you were talking about the internet in terms of social media Do you see more deaf people appearing now? Do you think there was a correlation there or did it just happen by accident? Because you just previously said that you started to notice younger deaf people Showing an interest that they want to be involved in theater Do you believe that that has a lot to do with social media? Yes. Yes. Yes, it does. Well today young people They're on the Facebook. They're on the Instagram They're on snapchat and all that So yes Content is out there. It's ubiquitous. Yes. So I do think there is a connection a correlation absolutely Yeah, I want to I want to touch on a lot of things that were just discussed here especially in regards to the internet and to social media I Think we all kind of have our issues with social media We recognize the flaws that are inherent with stuff like Facebook where it can be used for good or for Evil and now just this morning we had that horrific tragedy in New Zealand that was streamed over social media but I like to look at social media in terms of what good it could bring and Right now the deaf community from what I see is so One of the big cons is it's so fragmented There are people doing amazing work in Los Angeles amazing working you in New York and Colorado and Cleveland and Chicago But it's so fragmented and it's so it's so torn apart that we need to find these ways to bring all of these people and all of these organizations together and social media and the idea of being able to use the internet and Computers all this technology as a tool is honestly something we should be paying a lot more attention to how do we make use of this? And I think specifically Sorry, I think specifically of the which was mentioned earlier in terms of the idea of people of color and deaf people of color How do we get them into the theater because these communities people of color tend to be like my community? The Asian community tends to have its own sort of cultural Group on its own and then within that there are deaf deaf Asians deaf deaf black people deaf deaf white people there's all these different deaf deaf groups within these larger groups and People of color especially tend to have less economic less economic facilities less They tend to be in places where theater doesn't necessarily reach them and using technology using social media is What we need to be looking at in Chicago for example There is a growing Movement called the free theater movement which is designed to bring Theater to underrepresented communities by offering free tickets to reduce the burden of the financial cost to reduce the burden of Getting people into the theater in the first place and we need to look at technology can be live stream these shows Can we find ways to bring theater into everyone's home into onto our phones? We carry around every day. We need to find ways to make technology We need to find ways for to use technology to make these kind of things happen So the next question in terms of deaf theater Are there any gaps or areas for improvement that could be closed solved eradicated By collaboration are there any particular skills and knowledge that are transferable that we need to Focus on and what are we doing in terms of organizational development and capacity building? How are we filling those gaps? What opportunities do you see in deaf theater moving forward and finally? It's really it's a multi-tiered question Does your work still feel valued by the deaf community? And if so, is it the same as it was or is it different? And how do we critique that? I Think one of the biggest gaps is what I mentioned earlier, and that's the fragmentation about community I'm looking around this audience right now And I see a lot of amazing actors that I have heard so much about and if I wanted to cast them in a show that I was Producing I wouldn't have the foggiest idea of how to get in touch with you I would have to ask someone we have to ask someone would ask someone who'd be who would know you and I think Using as we mentioned technology and using the internet to facilitate these connections between people is one of the Big first steps that we can do to create a really solid network of deaf artists I think the other big gap is just that we don't have enough deaf Plays and what I mean by that is not just plays that are About being deaf not just players are about sign language not just players about all of that But I would love to see plays of Just a deaf individual being able to operate in society. I am not just a deaf person I am a person of color. I am Man I have all these other parts of myself that are different that exist outside of being deaf Being deaf is only one part of my identity and I think we need to find these scripts We need to have these playwrights and these training and these opportunities for playwrights to workshop to network to create these works for Deaf actors that is not just about this one single subject So when I go see deaf theater in Chicago if I go see deaf theater in New York if I go see all These plays from theater companies have never worked with deaf individuals before it is always about The struggle of being deaf and yes, there is a struggle that is not the only Part of my life that is relevant That's not the only part of my life that I want to talk about that I want to create art about So as you were saying How do you get connected how do you collaborate especially with hearing companies I remember you know about half a decade of Hard work to try to get to that point But after becoming a 501c3 incorporated as a nonprofit in Denver actually there was a gentleman great great person Michael Strickland Stricklander Stricklander anyway hearing gentlemen not a deaf person but he looked pursued found me and selected me and Paid out of his own pocket essentially to Incorporate with me and to create a core That could be sustained you might consider it an endowment of some sort by this hearing individual to invest into my 501c3 So the opportunities are there go for their individuals trying to seek you out and that leads to more opportunities So I'm very excited to see where we're gonna go again I measure my progress by the actual literal growth of my child Who is three so it's been three years running, but there was a second question you asked Ethan about the gaps Yes about the deaf theater and where is it going in the future gaps in the future? Marketing marketing is so tough It's so hard to do and get your content out there. There's so many who just don't know You know what's going on what we're doing There's so many things that you here in the audience are doing, but how do we know about them? We some of us just don't know so it's marketing is a big thing that needs to improve in order to fill the gaps It shouldn't be hard to find It put a spotlight on the great work that all of you are doing I mean just Google search engines should be able to take care of that But still there's a gap, but we have the instrument of technology to help close the gap if we use it Michelle Yes getting back to what you were saying Richard Plays having more plays available more content written for deaf actors. Yes, that needs to happen. We need to maybe Have a deaf playwright conference an annual conference a convening of deaf playwrights And that's how we can develop new work new plays written by deaf people So we need to have that kind of opportunity So that's one thing that might help close the gaps In terms of the deaf community and the deaf community valuing us well We're talking decades ago. Oh, yes In TID was the aspiration for young people now I Look at things in the context of today in the deaf community. It's kind of meh people don't regard it with as much high esteem or high regard as it used to be There's not a much Connection to the content that NTD has produced for some of the people of this generation Maybe the plays are too complex or they're just not stimulating enough They don't have enough balls and bells and whistles It's hard. So, yeah, the gaps are there the gaps are there and that we need to get more young folk in the house We need to get them in the seats in the audience But how do you get that to happen in three days? Well, we got all of us here But where are the younger deaf artists where the folks who are still Out there that need to be watered and nourished to get to the point where we are today I think one thing when we speak about gaps We talked about places spaces to be creative Places to do filming Like artists say, you know, I'm having a hard time finding where I'm gonna get my next job You know where I'm gonna get my next acting gig. Where am I gonna get my lighting? Support I mean there are some exceptions like DC you have you know an infrastructure there where the opportunities are there for you But many film makers and people of deafness in the field of artistic have a hard time finding space To do their productions to keep things ongoing You know, but I think that these things if they have a stabilized place where they can go to that would probably keep things going You're right. So when we talk about the interest in theater today, you know, we're did we're competing with video today we're you know YouTube today and so everybody's looking to that social media in that aspect, but not seeing an actual Theater production and how do we get them back to live performance? To appreciate the value in that So I would add to what Andrew was saying mentorship mentorship mentorship, who are the mentors? You're a mentor you're a mentor you're a mentor we need more mentors doing the mentoring and that's key That's so key and that will help with the growth that will speak to the gap Yes, as you were saying Video media There's such a Track toward video media production and attraction there, but where are the stakeholders? the stakeholders For example, I was at a workshop a couple of weeks ago And who is was in Colorado and we were talking about the high percent of individuals Who go to live theater and that age range is between 30 to 60? But where is children's theater? Where are productions that an entire family can go to whether it be live theater or film? So it seems that we need to figure out how to draw in younger audiences the 20-somethings that generation Because the 30-something generation they're more liquid They have the finance and circumstances to participate in live theater where the younger folks haven't emerged that far yet so the next thing I would like to talk about is the growing edge in Terms of the how and the theory now when we talk about Howard Thurman and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Thurman and Dr. King We're focused on creating a space in a place where individuals can be involved To create and design a future a progressive future of possibilities. They were for thinking They spoke about the breath from an exhausted lung that needs to be filled the one more thing we try When all else has failed they spoke they continue to say that upward Reach of life When we're enus closes in When we're enus closes in upon all endeavor that source of confidence when worlds crash Where is the birth of a child? It goes on to say in this quote that growing edge That boundary that zone of proximal development in which you elevate to the greater peripheral space where the old Incarnates itself into the young so that's the quote How can we cross that boundary? How can we expand into the outer peripheral? my growth my edge tends to be Again speaking for myself. I I'm a business person. I have a business mind. I'm always thinking about the numbers I've been considered a goal oriented person Aspirational that way. I like business plans. I like getting things down on paper I'm a dotted I cross T kind of person so in the five years Of working so hard and having a strategy to have a plan. Sometimes they don't happen sometimes They just don't manifest sometimes. There's a digression. There's a little hiccup You got to be flexible. That's the lesson. Don't be so rigid so that something unexpected Compromises your entire trajectory Go with the flow go with the flow So looking back at my strategic plan There were some little celebrations and a little wins some little moments where I just have a little Chardonnay But then there's some other tough times And when you get into that third fourth year You have to revisit the plan, how do you keep moving forward? And after you've met the objectives of the plan, you don't stop You keep going you reiterate and loop yourself back in to keep developing more work. I Like to tie into what Michelle had mentioned our stories Our stories have come up in many ways as I'm looking at everybody everybody has a different story and those are possibilities for material You know, so let's get on with it. I mean the stories are right here in front of us among us Then waiting for a story to come and create a story for us We have our own stories to tell Enough of waiting for the people to give us a story. It's here within our own culture our own groups. I Have to I have to say this Get on with it. It starts here right now people. What are you waiting for? Why are you sitting there looking at me looking at you looking at me after we're done? We're gonna go back and do something do what what are you gonna do it starts Right now now a thought an idea is this We've convened We're discussing We're populating the space with ideas. There are opportunities for work There's funding to be had There are individuals and institutions willing to compensate us for our job to do the work to create new work But we literally have to start today. We cannot speak about it and do nothing with it Can't say now any other way it has to has to be done today. That's it We need to make sure There's this publication that was recently produced produced spotlight on deaf women. I'm actually featured in that several Women here are featured in that book a spotlight on deaf women. That's an amazing read. What a source What a source of inspiration? I'm so Excited, but I don't want to put that book down and just let it collect dust I'm actually meeting people in the book. We're both in the book and we haven't actually been in the same space until today So it definitely we have to do something with it, but it starts today and it's not just about deaf women I'm just saying, you know include my brothers there, too It's about theater It's about deaf theater, so we're all connected. We're all here. We should do something with it. Um, I Love that quote about the Staring over the edge because when I look at that edge I am a see opportunity and it's not opportunity because of what I see down there It's opportunity because if I know what's coming after me and you mentioned these idea of education Idea of mentoring idea of all of these things and yes, it starts here and we always have to keep this idea of What's the next generation going to do? How are they going to build on what we create here and? I and I look at this opportunity and I turn around if I look behind me I'm seeing that the future generations are going to look very very different than what our generation looks right now It's going to be multicolored. It's going to be a lot of women. It's going to be trans bodies It's going to be all of these other groups of people that have so far been marginalized that we have to bring along with us I believe that our advocacy that our desire for Deaf theater in our inclusiveness can't be just for us I believe that advocacy has to be intersectional that we have to bring along people of color And we have to bring along women that we have to bring along all of these other marginalized communities along with us So when I see theater being created now the theater that I want to see in the theater that I'm hoping that we can Build that foundation for here is a theater of everyone the theater of the melting pot of America He said it all He said it all absolutely Okay, I think this would be a good opportunity to turn it over to the audience for some question and answers Did you want to get my attention? Okay So why don't we open it up for question a Q&A and comments from the audience with the understanding That well, let's first of all. Does the panelists want to ask the questions or do we want it to come from the audience? You know So we kind of respond about how we answer the questions So maybe somebody wants to add something on something that somebody already said previously or a little bit of elaboration That's your decision, but keep the ground rules though. Okay, please keep in mind wait for the camera To be put on yourself and then when you see yourself in the screen That is your cue to go ahead and ask whatever question you'd like to ask and that's how the turn taking will look like Okay, so please keep in mind wait for the camera Okay, okay, do not be spontaneous, but wait for the camera Okay, go ahead there in the back question in the back So Nikki when you spoke about the the book Spotlight on deaf women it seems like there's an opportunity to create volumes Volumes of may say be deaf playwrights another volume about deaf designers People of color in the theater. There's an opportunity to create different volumes and Maybe there's a possibility for a publication to talk about children impacted by deaf theater and perhaps the Money the revenue generated from the selling of that could be put back into producing theater. That would be amazing, wouldn't it? Yes, it definitely would As I look around the room here, I'm trying to you know, I took notice of people's different comments a Diversity of comments coming from different Sectors of the theater and what I'm envisioning is How movie influences theater and even though it's getting less and less. How do you envision? Film theater or whatever and how can you blend it to together or should they be separate should stage in theater be separate from filming? well When rain bets made a comment, you know talking about movie and theater There are some parallels and they overlap sometimes and Sometimes we use you know Virtual reality we change it with lighting multimedia I think what we have to do is to figure out how we can coincide and Use it as a tool to benefit us, but not to oppose it You know because for the deaf audience You know, they're not accustomed to going from theater And moving film into stage into the arts they can do this technology But don't be afraid of video but to embrace it and to take it in and use it as a tool where they can use both for theater and stage Because when we talk about arts, it's just not one media. It's a variety of multiple medias. It's whatever your passion is It's whatever inspires you That's how it should be utilized Okay, we have a comment from the front So I have two comments one is related to Nikki and Michelle and how do you find personal growth when you're doing all this business and You're so engaged in that It's really important for us to develop as deaf actors, but it's also important for deaf to be involved in theater as directors No one can do everything You have a small theater company that you want to sustain You need support from people who have a lot of knowledge and understand how to run it how to do a business how to run a business There's so much involved. So it's really important That we have the creative part, but we also have to have the business sense and support by that So how do we get grant support to do that? No one's really skilled in researching that writing grants so we can apply to Sustain and support these theater programs. So I think we need both of those the other comment is related to movies and influencing Theater and how they are divergent, but also How they're connected to your comment about collaboration with those folks who are hearing and People in the hearing community face the same challenges and people still go to theater Fewer people are going to theaters even in the hearing community as well. So how do we pull young people in? That's really what we need to look at We need to understand what's happening in the world in the community of hearing people to see as well That's going to influence us in the deaf community. It's really important to collaborate to be partners Especially if we want to be involved in this professional world of theater as Was mentioned it starts now. I can't agree with Michelle Moore But we do have different tasks and it's important to talk about Mentors I'm a writer. I'm an actor. I'm an educator I'm a workshop producer a screenwriter as well. I think I have so much gratitude for deaf spotlight theater. I Love the idea about playwright workshops What I'm thinking is that all these things already exist We just don't know who's doing the work because we're so isolated and that speaks to the marketing issue How do we find out about the work that others are doing so that we populate a Document of some sort that we can go to as a clearinghouse of some sort for the projects that people are doing We can create opportunities for folks to get into the same space and write together or get into the same space and direct together So that's I think the first step How do we get our resources in the same space and who's willing to you know Take a little time off of their day job to go out and be another space Who has that day job who can afford to? Sacrifice some time to spend some time mentoring the other person until they get to that economic space Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments. I want to add to this discussion This has been planning this convening I know that this has been in the planning for so long But then at Gallaudet we have spoken so much about African-American theater and having African-American directors and Deaf playwrights deaf directors, we've been doing it Michelle just mentioned that she was a director for a reason in the Sun Or raise the fences was also produced at Gallaudet University So there have been some things that have been produced. So it's getting out there. It's seeping out there So let's not discredit ourselves. We are doing things, but we're not doing enough. We could be A lot better. We don't want the same dogs same old dogs doing the same tricks We need to actually consider getting out of the way and let some of those other folks who have the aspirations that we have Get into that mainstream better. So in order to Create space sometimes we need to vacate space and that's sometimes what leadership means not just to To control everything but we need to yeah create training But Not discredit what's already been produced out there. We have time for about maybe three more questions our comments Someone just asked about theater training who mentioned that or who asked that question The theater administrative training. I wear a lot of different hats Director producer educator and the same problem always comes up So what am I focusing on is always the question and I have all these choices So how do I direct how do I produce? How do I do all these things? How do I design the clothing and what about the carpentry building the sets? There is so much work so many opportunities for deaf individuals There's acting directing, but then there's also a Lot of bucala work that's available for Individuals maybe who are deaf who maybe voc rehab could support some of these endeavors Seam-stressing electrics electrically carpenters. There's so many jobs that could be applied to the theater community So that's another gap that I'm thinking about of how we can fill opportunities for deaf people So I have a question. I'm eager to hear your response. Yes that there's not enough training out there For other aspects of theater not only about acting there's not enough training out there But I think about myself I work at an institution in higher-ed mainstream institution Is there more benefit to be an Artist and pursue artistry and training in education and an institution in higher education Or is it better to kind of pick it up as you go at a deaf school? So in mainstream World or at a deaf school Where's the best place to go? What do you want the answer relies in what you want? It could be it could be a host of things. I Personally think that Well going back to your question. Are you talking about grad school or undergrad? Where are you are? Okay undergrad grad doesn't matter. So if you're aspiring to be a professional do both do both See what it looks like being educated in a deaf environment in higher education But then see what it looks like being in a mainstream environment on which there is the added expense and complexity of Accessibility interpreters a whole nine yards, but your MFA degree If you want to pursue professionalism Wait a minute. Okay, wait a minute. I was about to say actually I did say that there's no MFA degree But somebody just told me they're working on it. Okay, that's good to know But you do have your BA degree at a major in theater. Yes, we have the BA degree in theater fine So it depends on what you want. What are you looking for? Do you want to work in the deaf space exclusively or do you want to go mainstream? I? Went to Gallaudet it wasn't my thing I Didn't feel it was challenging enough to me at the time I went we're talking in the 80s It wasn't what I needed, but I went to a state University and That was extremely challenging for me. I got what I needed there. That was me then Yeah, just to add on to what she had mentioned about the choices You know deaf people have more choices than what they had in the past Gallaudet and TID see son that was pretty much of it in terms of their choices back then and it was depend on what field they wanted to get their BA or MA in or whatever and That's the key Which choice was the best fit for that individual to then pursue that that was the way they should go So the same applies today Last comment or question So I do have a question This relates to deaf theater and working with deaf individuals Do you think it's a good idea for deaf individuals to work with other diverse populations black gay Indian but more diverse communities So that they can do the work all together They'd also be more resources and revenue created that way. It would be a financial gain The answer is yes. I have a board of seven people from varying backgrounds African American deaf all genders deafblind included as well are on my board and The board president is also deafblind. There's only one hearing person on the board a speech therapist Who? Got bitten by the bug so to speak by theater. So yeah, we have a range of diversity on our board And we have a new director actually on board this summer Who'll be coming to join my theater company? Who's an african-american deaf woman? So we're really looking forward to literally this new blood The audition we passed the deadline for auditions, but we're also Looking for more diverse talent to actually join our company. So the point is diversifying is always a yes answer Michelle speaking. Yes, it is important to branch out beyond the deaf community To learn from each other and cross-collaborate with each other Diversity is always an asset varying backgrounds varying cultural identities are always an asset it makes theater more compelling Makes for better theater. You just didn't want to stick with one story And it also depends on the play. What's the content that you're working with? You know, you can you do a raisin in the sun with Varying diverse non-african-american members. Well, it could be done, but there are stakes If you're looking for more diversity, you need more new work So I think we have to segue to the next part of our program who will be led by Tyrone But looking at what we've heard so far Definitely it is the beginning of an ongoing conversation But we don't want to be just a group of talking heads I'm hoping that we can maintain this energy and not put a punctuation on and not a period but to Interact with each other in such a way that we can actually activate these things perhaps tonight at dinner Throughout the course of the weekend that this is an ongoing and active Conversation so we're gonna take a break now if I'm not mistaken. Oh, yes Yes, yes Thank you for reminding me. Yes, we're going to have a break, but it's gonna be a 10 minute break Please remember That there is the reflection booth in the back Please go to that and please sign up for a group on one of the clipboards in the rear. All right Thank you so much for your time and attention and thank you to the panelists