 Good afternoon. I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which this event is taking place The Massachusetts and the Wampanoag people and pay my respect to their elders past present and future Hello, welcome to Boston and to Emerson College Thank you for being here I'm Jamie Galoon. I am the director and the co-founder of Hallround Theater Commons and My pronouns are she her hers Hallround is a free and open platform for theater makers worldwide That amplifies Progressive and disruptive ideas about the art form and connects diverse practitioners Hallround is organized as a commons Which is a social structure that invites participation along shared values at Hallround we value generosity and abundance Community and collaboration diverse aesthetics equity inclusivity accessibility and global citizenship While much of our platform exists online We know that there's no replacement for in-person conversation Since our founding in 2011 We have produced over 20 convening on a wide range of topics with a combined attendance of over a thousand theater makers In April 2017 in the wake of the presidential election We announced an open call for convening proposals called the howl round challenge We asked the field to submit ideas for the most urgently needed Conversations that demanded in-person gatherings with the idea that we could purpose our resources Toward trying to make a better theater and a better world We got over 70 proposals and out of these proposals The deaf theater action planning session proposed by Ty Giordano Rachel Grossman DJ curse and Ethan Senate was chosen as one of the four convening and over the past year-plus, yes Over the past year-plus Hallround has had the pleasure of co-organizing this gathering It is extremely important to us that what happens over the next three days is shared with the field at large We were able to bring all of you here in person But there are so many more people that we wish Could be in this room So we're asking you to be delegates in this experience and To bring the learning and the conversations we have here back to your communities and networks We're doing our part to make this convening accessible by live streaming most of it on howl round TV People can tune in online in real time right now Or they can access the video archive shortly after the event in addition to video documentation we'll be taking photos and Publishing an official convening report to be authored by Jill Bradbury in the coming months This gathering would not be possible without the amazing howl round team Producer Ramona Astrosky and associate producer Stokely who have been leaders and co-organizing this event and tireless in their pursuit of excellence Howl round cultural strategist Vijay Matthew who is holding down our video and live streaming Ship over here Latinx theater commons producer Abigail Vega howl round fellow Dylan your Vegas and Arcadre and Arcadre of volunteers Ross Emma Rachel and Ali I'd also like to thank I'd also like to thank the production team who's supporting us John Swati and Andre if you're a part of this convening producing team will you please stand if you're able or raise your hand so we can all thank you Thank you. I'd also like to introduce Charles Baldwin From the mass cultural council who is joining us as an observer this weekend Can you stand in closing? I'd like to thank the bar foundation Without whom this event would not be possible I'd also like to thank Boston University for their support as well as the Andrew W. Mellon foundation The Doris Duke charitable foundation and the national endowment for the arts and now Last but not least. It's my great pleasure and honor to hand it over to the organizing team Who identified a need for this convening and committed themselves to making it happen? Please welcome Ty Rachel DJ Patty Ethan and Alexandria who will lead us from here on out. Thank you. I feel like I'm in the Olympics You want to go next? Hi everyone and welcome. This is so exciting that we're convening here I'm Alexandria Wales You'll be interacting with us for three days So you'll see a lot of me and the other individuals and we are so inspired by everyone coming here together We look forward to the entire weekend being with you Hello, everyone I'm DJ. I'm from California deaf West theater I'm excited to be here at this event this weekend and I am also looking forward to this weekend with you guys I'm patty Lang. I'm the director of deaf spite light and DC happy to be with all of you for this weekend go theater Hello, everyone Eaton Senate. That is who I am. I Am a deciding director Producer and I am out of Washington DC and I am a really inspired to see a wealth of collection of Artists here at this weekend. You look forward to the next three days. I am Rachel Grossman. I am so honored to be here Thank you for permitting me to be with you. Hello, everyone. I'm Tyrone Tyrone Calvary Joe Giovanni It's been a long time coming before we got here and I am thrilled that it is finally happening and This is just the beginning folks Just the beginning. There's more to come Thank you for all coming in attendance today. Thank you So we'll begin with a ritual of assorts. We Asked you to bring some artifact something personal We're going to take a couple of minutes to prepare the next part of this So reach into your bags pull out your personal item your artifact and get ready for the next part of the session If anyone has forgotten to bring anything or some hair clippers or something. I'll take a strand of your hair Before we proceed. I would like to talk a little bit about why we're here You know deaf theater actors. We've been planning, you know, what's the purpose of this event? You're probably wondering why we flew in from all across the country You know to take the time to work out You know the schedule and the money that's been invested for this for what purpose you may be asking yourselves the goal is outcomes You know planning to find out what the outcomes and how we can improve and how we can grow the industry and the landscape of the deaf theater and Also deaf artists and the opportunity for us to discuss this as a group because we can move forward with a vision So that we can change How we can be the change we are the beginning of this change which begins right here Now I've got to other events and gatherings similar to this Where we've had the little forums we discussed these things and then they dissolved and nothing came about it So now we decide to say that it's been over a year and we've been meeting on a regular basis planning this specific event We wanted to find out what other milestones we could look for and look at what's going on in other theaters and other parts of the country and how they're getting growth and how they're developing and Creating more opportunities in terms of writers and plays and scripts So we're starting to take you know a collection of ideas and stuff and see how things are working And so we want to gather all these people together Which is the hardest part because now I have to be very selective of who I can't invite to this event but ultimately we picked you people because of the fact that you are in a position of change and You are the ones that are going to be making this change and become leaders in this industry producers directors writers educators We all together are in a position where we can make things happen and we need more deaf theater and Right here with some people among us. We can make this happen and this is why you were chosen and I know that many of you Who have been with us that are not here? There are many that are not wish that you could be but we can take this information back to where we come from and spread this information and then have more inclusion through social media and Livestreaming so we can continue this conversation way beyond this event. I have an agenda We're gonna elaborate on that a little later on and in this agenda. We hope that we're gonna design With the purpose of having clear information before we leave in terms of how we can actually put this plan into place and How we can start network networking with each other and building a bridge for the future? I also recognize that historically You know traditionally deaf theater when we speak about the landscape of it. It's been shifting We have more of a diverse background Now we have deafblind theater and that was also going to become part of our Legacy and so we want to discuss how we can support that vision as well ASL theater in itself Historically has started back in the 1950s 1960s to the present But professional theater like what we know it is now Really started 50 years ago with the National Theater of the deaf Through the 70s, so it's well over 30 years, so we're still in its infancy So we have so much more to grow and develop as we expand the future of our industry I like to bring Alexandria up to the stage, please Hello So I want to go along with what was just said We're pretty young and as a professional theater group and there are many many individuals We want to honor and recognize from the history to now and going forward as well So maybe some of the names that we will recognize you haven't really been aware of and we want to make sure that every individual is respected equally and Recognize those so hold those thoughts in your heart hold them in your heart and in your minds So as we expand on this they will carry us forward They're gonna do this. We will do this together and that will help us move forward. Amen. Someone just said amen So let's go on to what we have our goals for this this work this session we have an altar and Your this is your personal journey, so you are bringing things Creatively to professional theater. You are bringing yourself here, so take your object and Think about who gave that to you or How you got that and how that represents you So make a very conscious connection to that And then hold on to that remember it Remember who taught you and where that information came from We were speaking about the Wampanoag Tribe and think about the language that we have and the culture and the community and How it might have gotten smaller and now is going to expand again Through the darkness That language that culture that oppression that we've had we've everyone has fought so strongly We are now going to do that altar to remind you this weekend and moving forward to put what we honor and Love so much in our history So that this is a sacred space. We are bringing this to So all of you have something and what we're going to ask you to do now is to bring that to the table This is the altar that we're going to put the things that represent us on I'll demonstrate so again I'm Alexandria. I prefer she her for pronouns I I Come from New York City and this is a script of our town my first deaf mentor Michael Lamatola is represented So Mike Lamatola, so I'm going to ask each person to come up and share So you can see me Can you in the background on the big screen? And it's really important that everyone has a visual and can see the sight lines So we will hand that over we'll finger if you finger spell something Please do it at a pace that we can see and read clearly I'm DJ And my pronouns are he him and his This is a ticket from Bernard Bragg from the theater and I received that back in Washington, DC And I brought that with me. It's a momentum We were good friends and We were and he was the trailblazer and it's very personal to me next I'm Rachel Grossman She her and hers are my preferred pronouns. I Come from DC and That little clown red nose. I just showed you I brought it for two reasons Separated at birth was the show that I was used it was used in as A part of the costume the company's dog in Pony That was the first time they had a deaf actor That was Marley Matlin and she was in that performance That red clown nose really really taught me How to interact with the audience and that was one of the best things of my life how to do that Here's my clown nose. I know there are some questions here. So please come and ask the questions. Sure There's a question from the audience to see whether or not participants can bring their altar object to Participants and then we can have them place back on the altar So would that resolve if they put it on the altar and then you were able to come up and Get a sense of what it feels like after No, I'd like to do it at the same time if possible when they are bringing it up to the altar Sure, that would be fine Again, yes, so what I will do I Acknowledge your question and that would be fine. So as you come up to this altar So I am just reiterating what's being said so we can go up to the altar one at a time And then wait for the person to sit down before the next person comes up Okay, if the two individuals who already presented can come up to the altar Actually, there are three objects right now on the tape on the altar Okay, so now again to clarify what we will do we will take turns someone will come up to the altar Explain first introduce themselves explain the object and what that represents Just briefly After that's been done. They will go hand that object over to the community of deaf-blind folks to be able to feel and Touch it and understand what that is clarifying question from the audience So the person themselves can go over and give that object to the other group Yes, we want to make sure there's time for one person at a time and not everyone rushes up in a mass, okay Are you ready? Okay Can everyone see this? My name is Sabiva England like the country. I actually have three things. I'd like to explain to you The first object represents prayer It's a figure of a hand if you can see it and its palm is facing up It's a meditative gesture mudra So we sign this in the Indian culture Within our dances and our art in theater So my art is physical theater Three years ago my husband passed away It was really unfortunate Very sad. I was grief-stricken. I actually wanted to kill myself and not go on But inside I realized I want to perform. I want to make art again and I started Just to become more inspired and enlightened by this. I Felt a connection to that object so through physical art and Physical theater that helped me feel connected to other people. I Felt the spirit and that's the experience. I wanted to share with you So for me I Want to feel the connection with other people and I do that through my art Through this art. Thank you And the individuals in the audience are getting an understanding and feel for the specific objects Hi, this is Alexandria again We will continue with this process and as we go on we're gonna really Get to know each other, but I'll also our time is short So I'm asking you to keep it a little bit brief and concise with your stories They are unbelievable beautiful stories to share and during break time and other time throughout the day You'll have an opportunity to come and see what items are placed on the altar and what the connection is They all represent all of you and we want to have everyone have a chance So I know there's lots of questions that keep coming up, but I'm gonna really manage and facilitate the time we have here I'm Nikki Runch executive director of theater and arts in Colorado Imagine theater this item that I have Belong to my daughter This was at the same time. I started in Barking my imagined imagination theater and gave birth Her name is Amber as in fire my daughter was fighting for her life at birth and She continued as she was facing death No matter what obstacle was about before her She can continue to fight and because of my daughter Today my daughter is three and very healthy And so is my art at the ASL theater They're taking a moment right now to just pass the item around among the attendance Hi, I'm Amy My pronouns are she her and hers I Come from Seattle, Washington the object I brought That's me a picture of me in this brochure in this flyer This is a part of a production associated with the deaf spotlight and Before This event I had no public speaking experience acting experience, but I was really thrown into the fire and I really thank Especially Patty and those in deaf spotlight who gave me the courage to be where I am today to be in that kind of production Hello, I've been involved in theater for well over 18 years and all facets of theater all sides of production in front of and behind the curtain I Brought with me one piece that has inspired me again We bring up the name deaf spotlight This is a play poster in which it really invested into deaf playwrights several deaf playwrights Their content was gathered and exhibited to a general audience with the goal of sustaining exposure to this kind of work to the capability of Finding our kind of work a full platform to be fully produced and these were a series of short plays that allowed Deaf playwrights to be empowered and this hadn't been done for decades and for a decade there have been deaf playwrights You know we think about Willie Conley and oh my goodness who else Steve Baldwin oh goodness others See the issue. I'm trying to remember so there are so many Playwrights they've curts I can go on Although the numbers relatively small. We're trying to expand Those kinds of efforts by those playwrights and make sure that we grow grow the work. So that's my piece. Oh My name is my pronouns are he him. Yes Is he they say that right? He the previous speaker was Ryan Schlett afternoon everyone My name is J. W. Guido Pronouns are he and his I'm the artistic director of the New York deaf theater. I'm an actor The entire catalog of theater production My artifact is a DVD Looking back when I was younger some of the things that inspired me most Was the work of Peter Cook. I learned so much from Peter Cook is a role model person. I look up to so This is my artifact. Thank you. Hello everyone. I'm Tyrone Giordano He him his Are my pronouns? I'm from DC and My object is not here. It's in the hotel room, but but but I do have a placeholder for it But I do promise to bring it to the altar tomorrow So the object was is Something associated to 2001 when I hosted a theatrical event part of a theatrical event Big River Was in a small space very small theater, but it did end up getting touring engagements all over the world as far as Japan Amazing experience, but what was rich for me was two things that happened one of which Was the fact that I made it there, you know got to that level professional theater But that's the kind of once-in-a-lifetime event and I thought and thought that I don't want to be a once-in-a-lifetime Event I want something like that experience to have a legacy and be sustained So I brought a piece of that experience with me that I have a bookmark for Hi, all you beautiful people out there. I'm Joey cavalry Him his he are my pronouns. I'm an actor a director a dazzle an Advocate and many other professions. I have a picture of children of a lesser God and I was in that cast and That was on Broadway That was a huge accomplishment for me It made history for deaf people to be on Broadway So we're gonna do that again, and then it happened again. So I brought that artifact with me Here it is. Thank you at about ten years ago I produced a play for the very first time and I loved it And it led to my eventual journey to becoming a theater administrator Now I work for a deaf West theater I am new to signing and new to the deaf community So I will thank you in advance for your patience and apologize for my terrible signing And I'm very happy to be here. Thank you. Hello My name is Aaron Kelstone. I'm from Rockchester, New York From the National Theater of the deaf artistic program designer My pronouns are he him and his my artifact Is a pencil drawing? This is a piece of artwork from the National Theater of the deaf It was the first professional community deaf community. I was involved there That's where I met Sonny Matthew Who is a writer and an artist? Aaron is from NTID National Technical Institute for the deaf in Rochester, New York Hello everyone My name is Wayne Betts, Jr. My pronouns are he him and his I'm the founder of Convo VRS and my artifact is This I wish this was real It's from the National Theater of the deaf It's a key. I Was actually responsible So it was an artistic theater and behind where they worked everything out Was art and today that key is the only thing I have of it and it belonged to Bonnie McLean My name is Sarah Bowden I'm a heart of hearing Playwright and pretty new to sign. So thanks for your patience My artifacts The last hearing aid I got I never wrote about hearing Stuff and I got this hearing aid in grad school while I was studying playwriting and People were asking me about it and I realized that people actually want to hear about this stuff It's not just a part of my life, but the playwriting Can help communicate this experience and bring people in so the hearing aid was the inspiration for that and It's in a plastic bag. So just for Sanitation reasons Hi, my name is Richard Costas. I am I am deaf, but I was raised hearing So my sign language isn't as fluent as I would like it to be I brought with me today a book of theater history, but I didn't bring it because it is book of theater history I brought it because in 2006 I wrote something in here that has motivated me and Everything I've done in theater since then I went into I went to a very mainstream school And I took an acting course and my acting teacher told me You should quit theater because theater is not accepting of people with unique characteristics. I Am kind of person that types likes to take something negative and turn it into a positive So I've used that as my motivation ever since then just to prove someone wrong because there's nothing that motivates me more Than someone telling me I can't do something. Thank you. This is my object Hello, I'm Kaylin Feeney my pronouns are she her and hers. I'm from Portland, Oregon And this item is Special for me. I Join the National Theater of the Deaf summer program It was a professional theater program where I got to meet so many actors and I was there on a one-month Excursion Bernard Bragg Michael Amitola and many others and One day I Was sitting with Bernard Bragg and there's a story that I'll share with you about that pen at a later time on break But it's very symbolic for me Because also I am a writer besides being an actress and It's got a nice flow to it when I'm utilizing it. It's not so stiff and awkward And it helps me when I do my creative work. Hello. I'm Patty I'm from Seattle and I'm wonder one of the founders of deaf spotlight theater and One of the coordinators of this event. I believe that art and artistic work whether it be in film Theater conventional theater or otherwise or any visual art Actually, I have some friends here in the audience who are also my colleagues in visual art producing So much work Inside jokes there. We have a special relationship some special reflections But I have a piece here that was from one of those great relationships to this t-shirt that I'm passing to My peers here in the audience Hi, my name is Kayla. I work out of DC and My object is also left behind at the hotel But what I brought with me was my script It was my first experience in deaf theater at the National Theater of the deaf. I Was in a mainstream program. I attended theater a lot You know and had to do a lot of speech therapy and I really could never go back to that But when I went to see National Theater of Death, it was a new inspiration for me But I don't have an object to show everyone Good afternoon. I'm on the cult My pronouns are she her hers and My object is this Why I bring this object this light is Because I value light. I'm from a deaf family sign language and well-lit communication Is always critical to me, but I remember in high school. I remember Eric Malcoons Told me that my sign language was awful. You'll never be an actor. Nobody ever come to see your work and You're telling me this from a deaf family and he brought me to tears but at the same time It impacted me in such a way that I wanted to pursue more quality and fluidity in my sign style So I actually have to thank that criticism that critique So I put the spotlight on the good things and a spotlight on the things that need to be changed or that are worthy of change Put a spotlight on it. The previous reference was to malcoon Hello, I'm Annie Annie Wegan I'm from Iowa But my primary focus in terms of artwork is as a lighting designer I've worked in deaf theater as an assistant lighting designer as lead lighting designer The gamut my object Is this book the theater of dramatic vision? This book is a book written by several designers and the designers This was the content I studied in grad school at Boston University go BU So it brings me really back home. I have so many roots here my grad school time here Was a shift to me from undergrad to grad school It was a time in which I was trying to explore what I was going to do for work And there was a big shift to me because I decided to become a designer and be that kind of producer It's with a moment when things became clear for me Hello, everyone. I hope you didn't cut my head off. Can everyone see it? All right. My name is Fred Fred beam And this is my sign name Professionally, I'm a professional actor and an artist But this is my other sign name because of my braids and my dreadlocks. I'm currently working as an outreach coordinator for sunshine 2.0 formally known as sunshine to oh But that is no longer in existence, but it revitalized itself again, and I brought it back to life and It is alive and up and running again Just like the iPhone 1 the iPhone 2 you get it Alright, so my background is Takes place over 30 years Traditionally, I'm an actor. I never stopped But my object that I'm bringing today is this key chain and it says Michael The name Michael is on this key chain. Remember. I said Fred beam is my name. I edit Michael Because that's my father's name And I wanted it separate because I have my own identity, but yet I hold it dear to my heart Because Michael is the person Who changed my life? Michael Jackson you all know that he was the one who's inspired me to become an actor But everyone said I couldn't beat one and Later I read a scripture out of the Bible and there's a song that it says Michael rode the boat ashore Hallelujah And I thought about that and I thought I would use that theme to change my life To get into theater and the first person that pulled me into theater was Jerome Cushman from National Theater to death and he saw my interest and took me under his wings and the rest is history And this here Represents who I am and there's a figure of a heart there Up and a musical note. Don't forget to put your object there. You walked away with You didn't leave it on the altar great. Hello everyone. I'm Andrew Morell from Illinois if you don't know Where the specific town in Illinois is which I had named just a moment ago You can approach me my pronouns are he he him his and here's my object It's a piece of a birch tree You know the production the Shakespearean production Midsummer night's dream, right? Where's Ethan? Okay, Ethan right Ethan of course, you know that Midsummer night's dream I remember the closing night of Gallaudet at this production at Gallaudet University and On this piece is the word dream written there And I always use that as a reminder that as an artist you should be a dreamer But we are already dreamers not should be a dreamer. It's not an aspiration. We are here We're in the dream. So being here is a part of a dream fulfilled hello and My name is Albert Joseph You can call me EJ my pronouns are he him his and I'm local. I'm from Boston. Welcome everyone Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. I brought this Boot why am I bringing a boot? first of all There is a production called the where trilogy if you're unfamiliar with it Susan Zader was the playwright of the whale where trilogy. Maybe you're familiar with Mother Hicks a taste of sunrise or the edge of peace all three of those productions were produced here in Boston One of the productions was here in the paramount theater space The other and we locked family theater And the third at this central square theater company. I performed the role of Tuck so I'd like to thank the fact that this piece exists and I like to think that character tuck Because the day that I put on that character the character told me To consider which shoe I should wear To do the work. We got a long Journey ahead of us. It's gonna be a long walk And who knows when the journey will end but you keep on walking and that's what we should do in terms of our Legacy put our shoes on every day get up with the right attitude and power others spread the wealth Whether it's a deaf community hearing community or otherwise, I thank you all for being here. Hi everyone I'm Shana and I see all these people bringing their artifacts. How can I compete with that? Well, the object that I brought Is a photo journal With deaf access theater. I was a teenager that was in DC where I grew up and those times I Was a student and I was in a mixed group of teenagers between 20 and 27 I was in deaf theater at the time. I was hanging with other people who were deaf and hearing and At that time a lot of the hearing peers really wanted to learn sign language and that inspired me to become an actor and Then on a teacher and so forth now that theater company unfortunately no longer exists But at that time it was important because I've learned about the importance of education through theater To the youth I'm Amelia Hensley and I'm from God knows where I've been everywhere. I'm such a traveler and migrant My pronouns are she her hers and my object is this It's a button. It says got drama and Right at the very bottom. It says Gallaudet Theater Department Before going to the Gallaudet Theater Department, I was often told that theater was not the way to go in terms of a career There's no prospect out there in terms of theater and arts and It's just a hobby essentially and I believed that for a time until That button I Didn't realize that was actually an academic course a major and That was the moment of shift That's when it changed my life being a part of the Gallaudet Theater Department and seeing faculty and staff Professionals practitioners do the work and get subsidized for it get paid for it. That's when the shift was so that's why this means so much to me Hello, everyone. My name is Natasha and my pronouns are she her and hers and My object is this silver star I was just married three weeks ago and this is part of the decorations for my wedding. It represents many things to me friends and family courage light love And I brought that here to share that among all of you to share my love and my strength with each and every one of you Thank you. Hi everyone My name is Brian Brian Chelsea, I'm in Austin, Texas and I'm in theater. I'm a co-director For depth Austin theater I work with a lot of them artistic interpreter for the deaf and I study on deaf studies and I focus on a minor in theater as well and I'm pursuing currently my PhD and what I brought with me is Something from my high school year when I was mainstreamed At that time I was involved in theater. I was meeting people Making friends and I was growing my artistic director Passed away 13 years ago and I always remember him Because when I entered his program He had so much patience to work with me because I was the only deaf student in his class And he accommodated me and he gave me the opportunity And he gave me a lead role and this script that I've used back then Was in my graduation year in 1999 out of the blue Gray brown it still you know has its titles it has everything in there and I cherished this script I Learned so many things from my director and today I Teach theater and I use his philosophy and his approach to inspire other students Because what he gives me I pass it forward. My name is Bellamy. I'm from Ohio I'm an actress producer director writer and One of the founders of the deaf Austin theater. Here is my object. It's a mouse on cheese Perhaps you've read who moves my cheese that book Well, the book is unforgettable to me not Exclusive because of the management philosophy that you can glean from the book But also it signifies my journey as an actress writer producer playwright, etc It helped me found the deaf Austin theater It helps you aspire for change and look for change and create change also to accept change to emerge and parrot access Hello, I am Michelle Banks My pronouns are she her hers. I'm from DC and I've brought with me This You may ask what is This my hair my locks. I did a one-woman show Some time ago As an artistic director Onyx theater in New York. I produced a play called for color girls Contemplating suicide when the rainbow wasn't enough Written by The late Nataki shun gay. I've also produced a production about Tucson Louverture in those experience I reflect on My journey as a writer and producer of a one-woman show and those pieces inspired me to Adapt my journey and adapt my vision To be more considerate of the ebony vision So I decided to bring this piece To represent my love my ebony journey Bob Marley and I've told the individuals who have inspired me in fact the playwright who I just mentioned earlier I'd met and I'd mentioned that she had inspired me So all of those pieces are Significant tokens of inspiration that have inspired me and brought me here today and I bring it to you notaki shun gay Okay, I think I'm ready. Hmm. I'm so nervous. Oh my god my name is Irvin and My pronouns are he his and him duly noted and The thing that I brought with me today Was this old shoe It was a shoe that was given to me from my grandfather. He was a dancer And I used that shoe because it reminds me of my grandfather Who passed away and through my journey in DC? I got into a scholarship program and at that time in DC I Was coming in from Louisiana And I then lived in Maryland and I danced my way all the way through Until I met Tim from a traveling theater company that traveled all across the United States Now this individual Tim it says Why don't you do a one-man show and I said me I'm a dancer and he said well, that doesn't matter Why don't you at least think about it? So I thought about it and I said why not so Michelle my director Michael my director had some dialogue with me We discussed it and the ballet shoe had no identity until I Used the white shirt So in my work, I started to consider how can I use dance these objects to represent not Exclusively dance, but multimedia or multiple objects of art How do I use what things can be seen? How can I use my smile? How can I use icons such as a butterfly and freedom my identity of being open and out? How can I change everyone's life to be fabulous and representative? I bring all kinds of pieces together not just one Hello, everyone. I'm Jill Bradbury from Gallaudet. I'm a faculty member there I've brought this This brochure is from the visual Shakespeare Festival that was produced last year as a part of the national tour Shakespeare Celebration and recognition of the 400th anniversary of his passing I Look at that piece as the first time that I really immersed myself into deaf theater let alone Shakespeare in American sign language and that Was revolutionary to me historical to me significant to me especially in Relation to all that we've lost in the deaf theater community that goes Undocumented that goes without being passed on so within this piece. I'd like to honor Steve Baldwin Steve Baldwin There's an actor historian a person who had not published a book about deaf theater history But always had images of him and NTD publications of course So there's such a legacy there and we were accountable to Continue the legacy in that history and pass it on Literally within our bodies over the years I want to honor his work in the way that he honored the legacy of deaf theater and deaf history to maintain that history and sustain it So thank you. Hi everyone My name is Josh Romulus Romulus Born in Pennsylvania. I currently live in Oregon. I'm one of the co-founders of the theater's group Protactal theater my colleague here to my right Also helped me co-found that theater Hi, my name is Jasper and I am from New York City And I also am the co-founder of Protactile theater and the object that I brought is a metal star made by an artist from the Protactile theater and In this star we've carried throughout our productions It was handmade and it represents the community that is in within us Regardless of our background Regardless of what community we come from Because we are all in one community the theatrical community and my personal object is a pocket watch this old pocket watch has braille on it and it is Very rich and symbolic for me from my own personal experience. Why? Because it teaches me a lot not only about being deaf-blind But also for me on a personal level when I Do my self-assessment of who I am and how I could come across to other people that I meet I never thought that I would be where I am today in the deaf protactile theater After my graduation from college I knew that I wanted to have fun in my work and being deaf-blind People said that I couldn't do these things And I was frustrated, but yet I had dreams like everyone else And my dream was to be in theater and to have people say that I couldn't and I figured that I Would be able to find a way and so I needed to found allies Partners who would buy into my dream and To share this vision that I had through protactile and to braille and Once I collaborated with my peers It was just the same way that you tell time on a watch This tells us story of us who are deaf-blind that our way of communication can be utilized in theater Through tactile and protactile That is the philosophy we use as we bring it to theater to adapt scripts in protactile and Braille and once people started to realize that they can access to our play through Braille protactile We would see the people's reaction. They were all inspired and they were Pleasantly happy that they can access theater directly through our language Hi everyone. I'm Robert I prefer he with a small not capital he H Very humble about it. So His is also okay to identify me. I am so thrilled to join all of you I don't have a lot of background in theater training, but I was involved as an actor often And I had different majors But I got so involved with SSP work And I decide and how I utilized space in that setting The architectural design is Something I got totally immersed in I wanted to make sure it was fully accessible and deaf and deaf-blind friendly I wanted to make sure there was meaning to everything that happened on that stage People understood what the goal Was what we were representing and what we wanted them to see We wanted people to understand our deaf space and through the experience that we shared in the theater with the real world we found that This was both interchangeably what uses what's used in the real world is used on theater And what's used on theater can be utilized in the real world We bring this to the stage and I extrapolated that from where I grew up as a kid on a farm Now for 200 years my family were farmers and unfortunately The farming is gone and we no longer have that farm And I remember where my father used to work on a farm and I would work on the farm alongside my father And we would sell our crops and the one item that I kept connected to my family's history From working on that farm was one item of all the things of that farm. I only have one item in my possession This you probably don't know what it is It's an inkwell for writing My great-grandfather who was deaf. He was an educator and Then there were priests in my family who were also educators and they valued the importance of reading and writing And he explained to me that this inkwell Was handmade he would go to the farm and he would make that inkwell from pottery Welled it mold it and then put the ink in there And I thought wow The meaning behind us It gave me a new meaning tools Tools have a new meaning for me. So I brought this here tools of the trade Hello everyone I'm Ethan Senate. I've been a deaf theater artists worn mini hats Primarily in directing and design The head of the artistic theater department at Gallaudet University. I was initially mainstreamed as The only deaf student in the program In some odd spaces you might say Spaces in which I was not necessarily Accepted by either group in that I had been educated in deaf space as well as mainstream space always looking for a place to fit a common space and when I didn't find that fit in One space that I had an identity of I would go to another so I've brought to you a bit of both of those spaces the first space Exhibit from one space is from a competition a speaking competition Was a poetry speaking lecture competition That I discovered through an English class that was posted on a board in the hallway and as I passed by I saw this bit of marketing material for This speaking poet free Shakespeare at competition And I thought to myself well What am I gonna do you know who am I gonna call and if I were to call somebody they're gonna hang up on me because obviously I'm gonna call through the TTY and Would they permit signing in this competition? Would they purse? Allow ASL. I mean who were who was the audience going to be and how would I fit and make this piece work? So I asked if I could call in and sign my piece. I Got no resistance So there was an opportunity I won for that region I Went to New York City Competed there in front of a large audience of significant people from across the country and I Got the second place to the top level and that for me told me of the possibilities of the initial vision that I had about being an actor and The ability to continue to progress toward that goal which leads me to talk about my second artifact This experimental piece that I worked on at La Jolla Playhouse in LA. It was an apprenticeship That was associated with there that program at the time Was an association with Steppenwolf Theatre Company So I worked with that cohort quite a bit for several weeks. It was an intensive program And there were circumstances in that intensive program that came up in which there was a need for a deaf artist a young deaf artist an emerging early career artist So looking back I see all of those Points those milestones as the reason why I'm here today In which I had opportunities to be pushed to Articulate Shakespeare in sign language and not necessarily through traditional means such as speech But if I wanted a role Some folks said I have to do the traditional way and I just didn't find that acceptable But I'm proud to be who I am and that I've never conceded to the expectations of others To certain speech coaches who wanted me to do things a certain way and to present a certain way a large verbose text Which was not necessarily my dream or the way that I wanted to represent myself in front of a large audiences The end result Was that general audiences thought that this was great work even though I Was using my voice and Compromise there for a moment and people thought that I was articulate. It still didn't sit well with me I wanted autonomy. I want to create a control I wanted to design and produce things in my way that set well with my intentions So I did not compromise. So these objects represent that journey represents Why I'm here and how I got here as a deaf artist as an art maker who Creates opportunities To do it the natural way of the way that people want the way people want to be represented. I want to support that Wow Amazing so inspiring just watching all of you I'm gonna take a bit of a break right now Get up stretch take a bathroom break get some food nourishment At 240 Remember that time Well, three o'clock because it's about 240 now at three o'clock. We're gonna go get together for a group picture So go fret refresh yourself, and we'll take the picture in the lobby Then we're gonna come back here and continue with our plan for this afternoon Okay, so right now We're gonna keep moving all the artifacts are right here. We're gonna put them We're gonna move them aside for now. So you have a 20-minute break right now And we've course we do have a question So our staff will lead you and guide you to wherever you need to go Okay, to the late rest rooms to the lobby area you can ask staff and they'll lead you a question from the audience Is it okay to leave our things in the room while we go out for break and the answer is absolutely yes Okay All right, take a break. We're good See you in the lobby at what time three o'clock. That's right. Thank you You