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The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 17.0156  Monday, 13 March 2006

From: 		Angela L. Neff <WiAndee@charter.net>
Date: 		Friday, 10 Mar 2006 11:30:22 -0600
Subject: 	ASL Productions of Shakespeare

Sorry for the long post.  I am at the end stages of writing my thesis on 
American Sign Language productions of Shakespeare.  I have been lurking 
on this list for quite awhile and have done searches of your past 
postings and found good information which provided leads for me to 
follow up on my needle in a haystack type project!

One thing I am doing with my paper is trying to establish all of the 
performances of Shakespeare in ASL that have been done in the U.S. as 
well as listing the reviews of the performances and any video or DVD of 
the performances that are in existence.  So far I have been able to 
verify 51 productions and know of one more in progress.  This includes 
several amateur productions from residential schools for the Deaf.  I 
have only been able to find out about and get my hands on a few videos 
of these performances though and am hoping some of you have information 
concerning the videos that I have been unable to obtain.  Also, some of 
the people on this list might want to know where they can obtain the 
limited videos that are available with Shakespeare in ASL (and some of 
the early stuff isn't ASL as we know it today.  So far videos I have am 
aware of include:

Ophelia
     * The Gallaudet College Dramatic Club, Washington D.C.
     * March 1958
     * Made into a black and white film available to those who have 
access to the Gallaudet University Library Archives

Othello
     * Gallaudet's Drama Department, Washington D.C.
     * Spring 1959
     * Made into a film though so far unable to obtain:  Shakespeare, 
William. Othello. Adapted by Robert Panara and Leonard Siger. Gallaudet 
College Archives, Drama.

Taming of the Shrew
     * National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester, NY
     * October 1974
     * Videotape from Captioned Media Program online provides short 
impromptu reenactment by Betty Bonnie and Paul Johnston of Scene II, act 
i lines 168-224. Theatre of the Deaf, #4306. Videotape. Host Robert 
Panara. National Technical Institute for the Deaf; Rochester, NY, 1986. 
(Obtained)

As You Like It, Hamlet and Julius Caesar (short excerpts on videotape)
     * Made at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester, NY
     * 1978
     * Bernard Bragg signed scene II, act vii lines 139-166 of As You 
Like It, Bernard Bragg signed scene III, act i lines 59-88 of Hamlet and 
Robert Panara signed scene III, act ii lines 73-107 of Julius Caesar on 
videotape available from Captioned Media Program online:  Creative 
Interpretation of Literature in Sign, #2754. National Technical 
Institute for the Deaf, Rochester N.Y., 1978. (Obtained)

The Tempest
     * La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego, CA
     * 1987
     * Ten minute video of Act I Scene II available from Peter J. Novak, 
but unable to obtain it

Ophelia (Hamlet from female point of view)
     * National Theatre of the Deaf, Performed at Panara Theatre at the 
National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester, NY
     * 1992-1993
     * Ophelia. Videocassette. NTD Archives. Chester, CT, 1992.  Unable 
to obtain video so far.

Pericles, Prince of Tyre
     * Westhoff Theatre, Illinois Shakespeare Festival
     * July 23, 1993
     * Pericles, Prince of Tyre, By William Shakespeare. Dir. Doug 
Finlayson. Prod. Illinios Shakespeare Festival. Ewing Manor Festival 
Theatre, Bloomington, IL. 28 July 1993. Videocassette. Illinois 
Shakespeare Festival, 1993. (I was unable to locate or obtain a copy of 
this video)

Shakespeare Unmasked
     * National Theatre of the Deaf-Little Theatre of the Deaf, CT
     * 1996-1997
     * Shakespeare Unmasked. Salem, Oregon; Sign Enhancers, Inc. 1995. 
(Obtained)

Twelfth Night
     * Amaryllis Theater, Philadelphia, PA
     * October 2000
     * Digital Recording Made though not sure how individuals can obtain it

Hamlet
     * Wisconsin School for the Deaf (High School)
     * 2003
     * Video and script adaptation for students and interpreters 
obtained from English teacher and drama instructor Kari Wicniski at WSD 
(Obtained)

If anyone has any information on this or wants to let me know of a 
production they have seen to make sure it is on my list please respond. 
  Thanks.

Angela Neff
Hard of Hearing and RID Certified CI/CT

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