Play Group A: Deaf Austin Theater (six plays) and New York Deaf Theater(1 play) FRIDAY, JULY 16, 1 PM EST:

DAT: A Better Place written by James Caverly and directed by Sandra Mae Frank

PLAY DESCRIPTION:

An unassuming operator transfers a passenger through a journey where an ultimate decision must take place.

ABOUT PLAYWRIGHT:

James Caverly

Broadway: Children Of A Lesser God. Regional Theatre: Tribes (Speakeasy Stage Co., Studio Theatre, Berkeley Rep., Kitchen Theatre Co.), I Was Most Alive With You (Huntington Theatre Co)Beertown (Dog & Pony Co.). DASL credits:  Richard & Jane & Dick & Sally, Fun Home, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, King of the Yees, (Baltimore Center Stage); Come From Away, Love Never Dies, Rent (Tour). He has directed at New York Deaf Theatre, Kent State University, Mosaic Theatre Co., and National Theatre of the Deaf. As a playwright, his work was produced at Deaf Spotlight, Deaf Austin Theatre, New York Deaf Theatre, and Kent State University. You can catch him on Season 4 of Chicago Med. www.joeycaverly.com 

ABOUT DIRECTOR:

Sandra Mae Frank

Sandra is a trained stage and film actress, best known for her role as Wendla from Deaf West’s Spring Awakening on Broadway. REGIONAL THEATRE: Next to Normal at Ground Floor Theatre with Deaf Austin Theatre; Fun Home and Fiddler on the Roof at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma; Our Town at Pasadena Playhouse with Deaf West Theatre. FILM: Entangled, Season of Love, and Soul to Keep. TELEVISION: NBC’s Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Netflix’s Daybreak, and Freeform’s Switched at Birth.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

The video plays/transcripts are the intellectual property of the playwrights.

No copying, saving, sharing of these documents is permitted.

Please respect the creative work of our Deaf Playwrights.

Always contact them for permission first.

DAT: Ding! written by Raymond Luczak and directed by Russell Harvard

PLAY DESCRIPTION:

In DING!, two Deaf men, not realizing that the other is Deaf, fantasize about each other while inside the elevator of an advertising agency in New York.

ABOUT PLAYWRIGHT:

RAYMOND LUCZAK (pronounced with a silent "c") is perhaps best known for his books, films, and plays. In short order, his play Snooty won first place in the New York Deaf Theater’s 1990 Samuel Edwards Deaf Playwrights Competition, and his essay "Notes of a Deaf Gay Writer" won acceptance as a cover story for Christopher Street magazine. Soon after Alyson Publications asked him to edit Eyes of Desire: A Deaf Gay & Lesbian Reader, which, after its appearance in June 1993, eventually nabbed two Lambda Literary Award finalist nominations (Best Lesbian and Gay Anthology, and Best Small Press Book). He hasn't stopped since! In 2005, he relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he continues to write, edit, and publish.

ABOUT DIRECTOR:

Russell recently performed as Link Dees and Boo Radley in Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird on Broadway. He starred as Knox in I Was Most Alive With You.  Theatre credits include: Our Town (Deaf West), At Home at the Zoo (Deaf West), Tribes (Barrow Street, CTG, La Jolla), Spring Awakening (Broadway/Deaf West), Sleeping Beauty Wakes (CTG/Deaf West) and The Who’s Tommy (Open Circle).  Film: There Will Be Blood and The Hammer.  TV: Fargo, Switched At Birth, Odd Mom Out, Fringe, and CSI NY.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

The video plays/transcripts are the intellectual property of the playwrights.

No copying, saving, sharing of these documents is permitted.

Please respect the creative work of our Deaf Playwrights.

Always contact them for permission first.

DAT: 5 Years Of Little It(s) written by Jazleen Garcia and directed by TK Sylvester

PLAY DESCRIPTION:

Max and Angela, newly divorced, step into the same elevator after signing their official paperwork for their divorce. Without their lawyers being present, Angela takes the opportunity to talk with Max, which leads them to have a deeply emotional conversation.

ABOUT PLAYWRIGHT:

Jazleen Garcia, 24 years old, born and raised in Texas. She is currently living in Roma, Texas, a very small town with a gazebo in the middle of the streets. She is a Gallaudet alumni, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English in May 2020. She has performed at Gallaudet University for Baggage by Nikolya Sereda in 2019. She took a gap year, which is how 5 years of little it(s) inspiration came. She is  returning to school and attending Lamar University in the coming fall and pursuing a master’s degree in Deaf Studies.

ABOUT DIRECTOR:

TK Sylvester

Hailing from Humble, TX, and normally resides in Austin TX. TK is a writer and director. He identifies as a straight, African American hard-of-hearing man. He was involved in the DAT/GFT production of Next to Normal as Deaf Henry and recently wrote, directed and acted in the DAT Murder Mystery, a four part virtual mystery series. As well as directing 5 years of little it(s) in march. His favorite role to date is the Fairy King in a Sherwood Camp production. When he is not writing or studying, He’s an Advertising/PR student at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology), TK can be found outside playing soccer. TK is excited to bring his skills to DAT, work with other fantastic artists and bring attention to DAT on a national level.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

The video plays/transcripts are the intellectual property of the playwrights.

No copying, saving, sharing of these documents is permitted.

Please respect the creative work of our Deaf Playwrights.

Always contact them for permission first.

DAT: Pushing Buttons written by Rob Roth and directed by Andres "Flash" Otalora

PLAY DESCRIPTION:

As a boy, Danny is trying to figure out his place in the world. As he grows up, he realizes truths about himself and tries to get his mother to accept him for who he is.

ABOUT PLAYWRIGHT:

Rob Roth has a long history in Deaf theatre. He started out as an intern with the Chicago Theatre of the Deaf in 1971, and in 1978 helped produce EQUUS in ASL in Los Angeles. After moving to Seattle in 1980, Rob immediately got involved in Deaf theatre, producing a number of plays, and acting in one (as an heir to a pickle fortune!). After an absence of many years, he is immensely enjoying writing for theatre.

ABOUT DIRECTOR:

Born in Queens, NY and was raised in many different countries. Now living in Austin, TX.  I am deaf and I rely on my eyes to perceive life. Art is my inspiration. I've always got this high energy to pursue art. My deafness doesn't stop me from pursuing my dreams. I create innovative designs almost everyday and doing so, my skills grow. I will go beyond my imagination. I am an actor, performer, dancer, and stuntman. My additional skills are filmmaker, graphic designer, photographer, and writer. I am fluent in ASL (American Sign Language) and Spanish.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

The video plays/transcripts are the intellectual property of the playwrights.

No copying, saving, sharing of these documents is permitted.

Please respect the creative work of our Deaf Playwrights.

Always contact them for permission first.

DAT: The Interrogation/By the Numbers written by Alexandria Wailes and directed by Anne Tomasetti

PLAY DESCRIPTION:

Twilight Zone-esque inspired piece exploring the ideas of belonging, identity and tribalism. The elevator can be used as a metaphor for moving upwards towards enlightenment,  downwards towards becoming more grounded within oneself. When the doors open, who we are when we move forward from our own (and collective) past.

ABOUT PLAYWRIGHT:

Alexandria Wailes (playwright) received a 2020 Obie for Sustained Excellence as an Artist and Advocate. She received a Lucille Lortel nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play For Colored Girls.. at The Public. Her career spans Broadway, Off Broadway, TV and film as an actor, director, choreographer and a director of ASL. She works mostly in NYC and LA and has performed internationally in Japan, Senegal, India, Romania and Sydney, Australia.

ABOUT DIRECTOR:

Anne Tomasetti (Director & Editor of Alexandria Wailes Interrogation/By the Numbers) resides in NYC and is an actor with BAs in Theatre and ASL Studies from Gallaudet University who has performed and toured with the National Theatre of the Deaf, Cleveland Playhouse Signstage Theatre, the Centerlight Theatre of Chicago, and with the New York Deaf Theatre. She has an 18-year career as a theater interpreter director/advisor/interpreter for Hands On, a 35-year NYC nonprofit organization that provides ASL access to audiences who are deaf. Her work spans 90+ stage productions, of which theatre companies include The Public Theatre (Shakespeare in the Park and mainstage productions), the Roundabout Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, and other Broadway and Off-Broadway Theatres. Anne is also an ASL Coach, ASL Master, Consultant, and Director of ASL for stage, TV and Film, most recently for CODA (sundance 2021 Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award winner) and Crip Camp (2020 Audience Award Winner) and ran an 8-member team of Deaf Talent to interpret The Public's virtual world premiere of Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen's docu-Zoom play, THE LINE, about medical workers on the frontlines of COVID-19. Anne is an occasional Interpreter for the Theater teaching artist for ART/NY and Hands On. She enjoys dabbling in video editing projects and during the day, Anne is a CDI, Educational Interpreter Screener, and Student ASL Fluency Evaluator with the NYC Department of Education.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

The video plays/transcripts are the intellectual property of the playwrights.

No copying, saving, sharing of these documents is permitted.

Please respect the creative work of our Deaf Playwrights.

Always contact them for permission first.

DAT: The Last Floor written by TK Sylvester and directed by JoRose Benfield

PLAY DESCRIPTION:

An explosive and cathartic conversation between two ex’s before going their separate ways.

ABOUT PLAYWRIGHT:

TK Sylvester

Hailing from Humble, TX, and normally resides in Austin TX. TK is a writer and director. He identifies as a straight, African American hard-of-hearing man. He was involved in the DAT/GFT production of Next to Normal as Deaf Henry and recently wrote, directed and acted in the DAT Murder Mystery, a four part virtual mystery series. As well as directing 5 years of little it(s) in march. His favorite role to date is the Fairy King in a Sherwood Camp production. When he is not writing or studying, He’s an Advertising/PR student at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology), TK can be found outside playing soccer. TK is excited to bring his skills to DAT, work with other fantastic artists and bring attention to DAT on a national level.

ABOUT DIRECTOR:

JoAnn "Jo Rose" Benfield, from Kyle, Texas, is the Director for the Gallaudet University Regional Center - Midwest at Austin Community College. She earned her 3 B.A. degrees, along with her M.A. degree from Gallaudet University, the only university in the world for the deaf and hard of hearing. Music interpreting, Theatre, and stage performing has been a talent and passion of hers since she was 5 years old. Growing up deaf in a deaf family to 80's music and MTV, this sparked Jo Rose's lifelong dream to act, dance, and perform. In 2014, she had a debut on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show, performing in a sign language rap battle alongside Wiz Khalifa. She also had the opportunity to interpret Justin Timberlake’s 2018 Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show at DPAN-Studios, participate in a music video project by Kelly Clarkson, and did a few interpreted ASL music videos for Tove Lo. On a personal note, she loves various genres of music, movies, and theatre productions and has her own channel on YouTube: musicaldancingrose. You could say that with 30+ years of experience, she truly captures the essence of the art of performing and ensures that her deaf/hard of hearing music/theatre lovers receive equal access.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

The video plays/transcripts are the intellectual property of the playwrights.

No copying, saving, sharing of these documents is permitted.

Please respect the creative work of our Deaf Playwrights.

Always contact them for permission first.

NYDT: Girls' Trip to NYC written by Janessa Carter and directed by Patrice Creamer

PLAY DESCRIPTION:

Three Philly girls. Deaf. Black. Altogether they are the same yet the differences in their personalities, energy, and reactions to unforeseen situations makes their trip away from home not only liberating but challenging at the same time. As the story unfolds, we see a friendship that  is defined, refined, and intertwined as they leave behind sheltered households, overcome communication barriers, and prove their loyalty and love for one another. These girls show that if you are hungry enough , you can eat  the Big Apple right down to its core! 

ABOUT PLAYWRIGHT:

Janessa Carter is a foodie, bookworm, a lover of the Arts, and proud Philadelphia native, she always thought of NYC as her second home so she felt honored to be able to write about one of her extraordinary experiences in the Big Apple titled, Girls Trip to NYC. Janessa has been writing since an early age however this is the first time her writing is showcased in the Deaf and HOH community. She credits her sister, Jackie for instilling love for theater by taking her to plays at local theaters and Broadway shows since she was a little girl.

ABOUT DIRECTOR:

Patrice Creamer (Director) is thrilled to be directing the New York Deaf Theatre-Short Play Festival this year. Patrice was one of the first Deaf theatrical interpreters on Broadway when she debuted in Having Our Say. She went on to interpret for Jesus Christ Superstar and Aida.

Patrice’s team members included Alan Champion, Candace Broecker-Penn, Don Rubel and Michelle Banks. Patrice has also been the ASL Director for over 10 Off-Broadway productions, including Red Bull Theater’s productions of The Witch of Edmonton, The Duchess of Malfi, The Maids, Loot, and The Mystery of Irma Vep., Papermill Playhouse’s production of Color Purple Color, Public Theater’s production of For Girls Who Consider Suicide when the Rainbow is Enough, and Brooklyn Academy of Music’s production of the Barbershop Chronicles.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

The video plays/transcripts are the intellectual property of the playwrights.

No copying, saving, sharing of these documents is permitted.

Please respect the creative work of our Deaf Playwrights.

Always contact them for permission first.