By Andriana Simos
Theatre is often taken for granted by those (like myself) who can easily see the movements of actors and hear their dialogue. But the same can’t be said for people from the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. Until now.
Campbelltown Arts Centre is making waves in the theatre industry with its brand-spanking new production She Conjured The Clouds, which is part of this year’s Sydney Festival. Promoted as a “tactile world” where you can touch, and sometimes eat, the “kaleidoscopic scenery,” the production is being hailed the next-best thing since sliced bread. Well that’s what I’m calling it anyways!
Why? Because Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins uses Auslan sign language throughout the whole play to make it more accessible to audiences from the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.
“It’s been wonderful to be a part of this play because every single person I’m working with has a different personality and different experiences too,” Emma told ABC News.
She’s even sharing the stage with Hong Kong born Elvin Lam who belongs to the deaf community himself.
“I want the audience to not think of me as just deaf. I want them to look and think of me as a performer in general. Because Emma’s with me as well and she signs throughout the entire thing, I think us working together is a performance in itself.”
Here, here! I’ll definitely be the first one to give this performance a 10/10.
Simos Standpoints 