Deaf West - Blog Posts

concept: ASL version of next to normal. ASL version of heathers. ASL version of hamilton. ASL version of les mis. ASL version of rent. ASL version of the last 5 years. ASL version of wicked. ASL version of every musical. the Deaf community is able to access musical theatre. there is world peace.

what she says: I'm fine

what she means: Michael Arden was robbed of the Tony for best direction of a musical. He told a story in a non-verbal language. He brought in deaf actors and hard of hearing actors and actors in wheel chairs and put them on Broadway, something that had never been done before. Deaf West Spring Awakening got snubbed and deserved so much more. The show didn't even get nominated for best choreography for incorporating sign language into dance. What's probably the worst thing is that Michael Arden wasn't even shown when his name was called in the nomination category. They couldn't even bother to be sure they showed the right person. This show did something no other show has done before and to not recognize that is a disrespect to the deaf community.

there’s a deaf west spring awakening bootleg circulating and I don’t think it captures how truly beautiful this scene is, this is only audio, but this night I went, the emotional level was so high, it was so on point, everyone needs to listen to this.

That`s gold ^^

no but guys think about how cool an ASL staging of Hamilton would be

“talk less, smile more”

Lafayette combining ASL with French Sign Language

In “Farmer Refuted” Ham and Seabury go from simply trying to block their audience’s view of each other’s hands to actively slapping each other’s hands down mid-sentence

King George doesn’t deign to sign. He has the ensemble sign for him and gets pissed at how with each reprise there seem to be fewer and fewer ensemble members there to translate.

everybody’s name signs corresponding with their musical leitmotifs

apparently the ASL word for “helpless” can also be used to mean “speechless” in some contexts

during “Helpless,” if you look closely, you can see some of Alex and Angelica’s conversation from “Satisfied” being signed in the background

LOOK AT HOW BEAUTIFUL THE SIGN FOR “WAIT” IS 

 THE GLORY THAT IS “GUNS AND SHIPS” IN ASL

everyone breaking apart to sign their own parts in “Non-Stop” in a beautiful visual explosion like I am dying just thinking about this

AGGRESSIVE CABINET BATTLE SIGNING

“The Room Where It Happens” being all about being shut out of conversations and decisions, there’s some new subtext to “hold your nose and close your eyes” because you can’t sign while holding your nose and you can’t watch others sign while closing your eyes

Phillip not being able to complete the “sept huit neuf” with Eliza because his hands are going limp as he dies and Eliza actually screaming

Burr’s signing in “Your Obedient Servant” getting more and more angry along with his writing, the syntax of which also changes until “Weehawken. Dawn. Guns. Drawn.” matches up exactly with Burr signing the words–he’s sick and tired of translating every thought into perfect English, he’s tired of signing less and smiling more, he is 100% done with this shit

during Ham’s final “I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory,” it’s not just the music that drops out, it’s the English translation. that’s right, y’all, HAMILTON’S FINAL MONOLOGUE IS ONLY IN ASL

at the end of it, he sets down his pistol prop and makes the ASL sign for “gun” AND RAISES THAT SIGN INTO THE AIR

WHEN ALEXANDER AIMS AT THE SKY, BURR IS STILL HOLDING HIS PISTOL, SO HE CAN’T SIGN HIS “WAIT”–HE HAS TO SCREAM IT WHILE THE ENSEMBLE SIGNS FOR HIM

for all the emphasis put on “who tells your story” and “being a part of/erasing myself from/putting myself back in the narrative,” there isn’t much explicit mention of speech and I think that’s beautiful

I have way too many feelings about this fictional production okay

Concept: Next to normal revival, directed by Michael Arden

Even better concept: Deaf West Next to normal revival, directed by Michael Arden

YES!!! DANIEL AND MILO MANHEIM ARE GOING TO BE SO GOOD!!!

DANIEL WILL BE BACK ON STAGE in Deaf West American Idiot!!