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Signs of spring: Revue targets deaf, hearing audiences | The Argus Leader | argusleader.com
A Russian sipping a glass of vodka chucks the rest for the same reason.
And a deaf person gives the heave-ho to a hearing person ... .
The joke is probably as corny delivered in American Sign Language as it is spoken.
And in the nearly 30 years Augustana College Deaf Awareness has produced Burst of Sign, that chestnut might have been trotted out on stage a time or two before Saturday.
But joining the separate seams of deaf and hearing cultures in a theatrical revue titled "In the Spotlight" was ambitious and innovative.
It also highlighted the enlightenment that occurs for the Augustana deaf education, interpreting and communications disorders majors who make up the majority of the Deaf Awareness club.
Robin Bennett, Deaf Awareness president, noted that the subtle humor of one of the show's staples, an ABC story in which the letters of the ASL alphabet are signed in an unrelated anecdote, undoubtedly went over the heads of the hearing members of the audience of about 100 at the Kresge Auditorium.
"But that's how it is for deaf people. Everything is done in English. It's a challenge for them," the senior from Centerville said.
A cast of about 20 produced nine musical numbers and skits in two acts, punctuated by the signed jokes and patter of masters of ceremonies Lance Sigdestad and James Johnson. All the cast members signed their parts. The disembodied voice of an offstage announcer spoke them.
The members of Deaf Awareness have been preparing the show since February. Translating English into ASL was among the chief challenges of putting the revue numbers together, according to Mychal Hadrich. The sophomore interpreting major from McGregor, Minn., both translated and starred in a skit from "Where the Wild Things Are."
"I love performing. Just the rush of it," he said.
Hadrich's father, John, attended the show.
"It's different," he said of his son's academic major. "It's very unique. People are interested when he tells them what he is is doing. His strength is communicating."
The elder Hadrich said the family has no deaf members and knew nobody who was deaf.
Until his son came to Sioux Falls, "I didn't realize how big it was," he said of deaf culture.
Andrea Berard, a senior from Andover, Minn., majoring in deaf education and elementary education, took part in Burst of Sign productions all four years she has been at Augustana. She also is vice president of Deaf Awareness.
After a successful show Friday and a flawless first act Saturday, she and Bennett were able to exhale during the intermission.
On their watch, they had carried on the Burst of Sign tradition.
A Russian sipping a glass of vodka chucks the rest for the same reason.
And a deaf person gives the heave-ho to a hearing person ... .
The joke is probably as corny delivered in American Sign Language as it is spoken.
And in the nearly 30 years Augustana College Deaf Awareness has produced Burst of Sign, that chestnut might have been trotted out on stage a time or two before Saturday.
But joining the separate seams of deaf and hearing cultures in a theatrical revue titled "In the Spotlight" was ambitious and innovative.
It also highlighted the enlightenment that occurs for the Augustana deaf education, interpreting and communications disorders majors who make up the majority of the Deaf Awareness club.
Robin Bennett, Deaf Awareness president, noted that the subtle humor of one of the show's staples, an ABC story in which the letters of the ASL alphabet are signed in an unrelated anecdote, undoubtedly went over the heads of the hearing members of the audience of about 100 at the Kresge Auditorium.
"But that's how it is for deaf people. Everything is done in English. It's a challenge for them," the senior from Centerville said.
A cast of about 20 produced nine musical numbers and skits in two acts, punctuated by the signed jokes and patter of masters of ceremonies Lance Sigdestad and James Johnson. All the cast members signed their parts. The disembodied voice of an offstage announcer spoke them.
The members of Deaf Awareness have been preparing the show since February. Translating English into ASL was among the chief challenges of putting the revue numbers together, according to Mychal Hadrich. The sophomore interpreting major from McGregor, Minn., both translated and starred in a skit from "Where the Wild Things Are."
"I love performing. Just the rush of it," he said.
Hadrich's father, John, attended the show.
"It's different," he said of his son's academic major. "It's very unique. People are interested when he tells them what he is is doing. His strength is communicating."
The elder Hadrich said the family has no deaf members and knew nobody who was deaf.
Until his son came to Sioux Falls, "I didn't realize how big it was," he said of deaf culture.
Andrea Berard, a senior from Andover, Minn., majoring in deaf education and elementary education, took part in Burst of Sign productions all four years she has been at Augustana. She also is vice president of Deaf Awareness.
After a successful show Friday and a flawless first act Saturday, she and Bennett were able to exhale during the intermission.
On their watch, they had carried on the Burst of Sign tradition.
