Chicago’s Red Theater is translating Shakespeare for its new show: They’re putting his verse into American Sign Language.
“The first time I saw sign language onstage, it filled me with anxiety. There was no way in, and I wanted to scream. Those feelings scared me, and I became obsessed with why. When we started reaching out to the theatrical community with the idea to do an American Sign Language (ASL) adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, we were told over and over that Deaf culture was too insular, aggressive, and unforgiving for outsiders with no money to succeed. A year later—after hundreds of ignored messages and personal rejections—the warnings seemed true. We almost quit twice.”
To read the rest of the story, go to Signs of Shakespeare in R + J: The Vineyard.
Taken from American Theater, October 27, 2015
I love the idea of this and know it will bring new people to the work of Shakespeare. Creativity provides access to creativity!
Finding Our Voices Together 