To Whom Does It Matter
Lindsey N. Pierson
Humans
are a meaning-making species. No matter who you are, where you were born, what
you can or cannot do; we are all hardwired for connection and belonging. From
the beginning of time we have used stories to understand our experiences, share
wisdom, and build connection (Brown, 2015). Which, I believe, is why most
humans are drawn to movies, theatre, dancing, music and art. Through these
mediums we are allowed a glimpse into our souls. Through the power of story, we
can make sense of the world, understand others, and better understand ourselves
(Brown, 2015). Through the power of art, we transform lives.
"There is not a more striking example of the power of art to transform lives
than The National Theatre of the Deaf. In 1967 when NTD began, Sign Language was
seen as a stigma. The talents of deaf people were largely untapped" (NTD,
2014). People that are Deaf should be afforded the same opportunity to express
themselves, through art, and in society as people that can hear. The National
Theatre of the Deaf saw this discrepancy, and acted on it. American Sign
Language is such a visual/gestural language that uses your whole body as an
instrument to communicate. It is not just "hand flapping." Moreover, it is
absolutely mesmerizing and beautiful to watch. It seems only natural that
Theatre and American Sign Language would make a striking marriage. NTD proved
just that, by placing ASL onstage. "Deaf people reached new heights as actors
and were perceived in a new light, as intelligent, employable people worthy of
equal rights" (NTD, 2014).
Fast-forward fifty years to today, and we can still see this battle being fought
by the Deaf community. They struggle to be noticed, and given the same
opportunities as Hearing performers and artists. Recently, "The #DeafTalent
movement spread like wildfire across social media. Using this hashtag, members
of the Deaf community publicly spoke out against the cultural appropriation of
deafness in movies and TV" (Callis, 2015). You can understand their
frustration, and oppression, as Hearing actors are being cast over Deaf actors
to play characters that ARE Deaf. It is as absurd as painting a White person's
face Black, instead of casting an African American to play an African American
character. In a New York Daily News interview, Catalina Sandino Moreno (a
Hearing actress) talks about playing the role of a Deaf mother in her new movie
"Medeas." "I met with a lot of mute and deaf girls," she tells Viva. "I wanted
to get a glimpse of their world." (Rivera, 2015) Her "deaf/mute" statement alone
is a) outdated b) insensitive and c) ignorant. It shows that she really does not
have insight about the Deaf culture, and the people she is attempting to portray
on film. Which leads me to wonder why the producers did not consider casting a
Deaf actress to play the role of the Deaf mother in the film? These types of
roles do not show up every day in film. Think about the last 4-5 movies you have
watched. Did any of them include a Deaf character, and/or actor/actress? What
about politics? How about a Deaf news reporter? What about a Deaf athlete? This
community is bursting with talent, and underrepresented in our society. There is
so much ignorance about differences and exceptionalities. Different is not bad.
It is just different. Switched at Birth actor Nyle DiMarco posted a video in
which he says he is "disappointed and insulted" by the choice to cast hearing
actors in deaf roles. "We deaf people, including People of Color, transgendered,
and disabled people all have true experiences," DiMarco explains. "We all are
talented people! But they keep on casting actors other than us. Our roles have
been stolen. They keep stealing our opportunities" (Callis, 2015).
Nyle
DiMarco, a male model, who happens to be Deaf, fortunately did get noticed and
proved himself as a worthy talent on "Dancing With The Stars". He performed a
Cha-Cha, and wowed audiences all over the world (Hyman, 2016). After watching
his performance, anyone could see that he can visibly feel the music and rhythm
throughout his entire body. (Which we ALL know moving your body rhythmically is
anything but easy!) DiMarco is not the only Deaf performer making waves. "From
its humble start in a small theater space in downtown Los Angeles to its three
Tony Award nominations, including a nod for musical revival, Deaf West's
production of "Spring Awakening" qualifies as this Broadway season's little
theater production that could" (Ng, 2016). This production innovatively
incorporates eight Deaf actors, eight hearing actors, seven onstage musicians,
dancing, acting and American Sign Language all in one (Paulson, 2015). It is
truly awe-inspiring, and proves that Deaf actors and actresses are more than
able to tell a story that resonates with audiences through music and
performance.
Ingrid Michaelson, a pop artist, was so inspired by watching Deaf West Theatre
Company's "Spring Awakening" cast perform at the Tony awards, she wanted to
incorporate Deaf actors in her new music video "Hell No." Michaelson told
Radio.Com, "There were deaf and hard of hearing actors on stage using American
Sign Language, built into their choreography. It was really interesting and
beautiful. I thought, ‘What a cool thing to meld with pop music.' So I reached
out to Michael Arden, who was the director of that performance, and he got six
of the actors to come in for a couple of days. We worked on the interpretation,
and then we shot for six or seven hours in Brooklyn. It was a really interesting
experience for me" (Ives, 2016).
Although the National Theatre of the Deaf was groundbreaking in paving the way
for Deaf artists, it is clear that there is still a long way to go. Diversity is
the beauty of America, and the more we are around different people, than
ourselves, the more flavorful and better we become. The power of art can and
will continue to transform lives, but we must open our eyes and afford everyone
the right to participate. One universal truth is that we are ALL biologically
hardwired for connection, love and belonging; and we are all connected through
the power of story. True Story involves everyone, no matter your circumstance or
exceptionality. We cannot neglect people on the fringes of society. Different is
not bad. Different is not less able. Different is just different.
References:
Brown, B. (2015). Rising Strong: The Reckoning, The Rumble, The Revolution. New
York, New York: Spiegel and Grau.
Callis, L.L. (2015, February 17). Lets See More # Deaf Talent in Hollywood. The
Huffington Post. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lydia-l-callis/lets-see-more-deaftalent-_b_6690324.html
Hyman, V. (2016, March 28). Who is Nyle Demarco, the deaf ‘Dancing With the
Stars' Contestant?. Retrieved from: http://www.nj.com/entertainment/celebrities/index.ssf/2016/03/dwts_who_is_nyle_dimarco_deaf_dancing_with_the_sta.html
Ives, B. (2016, July 25). Ingrid Michaelson on Using Sign Language in Her ‘Hell
No' Video. Retrieved from: http://radio.com/2016/07/25/Ingrid-michaelson-on-using-sign-language-in-her-hell-no-video/
Ng, D. (2016, May 3). Spring Awakening and Deaf Wests unlikely road to three
Tony nominations. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-tony-spring-awakening-20160503-snap-story.html
Paulsen, M. (2015, October 2) Lights, Gestures, Action! How to Stage a Broadway
Musical with Deaf Actors. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/04/theater/lights-gestures-action-how-to-stage-a-broadway-musical-with-deaf-actors.html?_r=0
Also see:
Musical Theater and the Deaf
Deaf Theater