Signs of strength: Deaf performers enhance ‘The Vagina Monologues’
Culture Sunday, February 21st, 2010
GLENN LANDBERG/THE ARBITER
During the question and answer session after Boise State University’s production of “The Vagina Monologues” Saturday night, a young girl who looked about 9-years-old, stood up and asked, “Why are there people doing sign language?”
“Everyone thinks that all women have the same experience but we want to make sure we include all women,” Janet Summers, director of this year’s production, replied.
A historic first, this year’s Vagina Monologues featured two deaf performers and one American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. Rebekka Boslau, an environmental studies sophomore, and Davina Snow, an adjunct faculty member, both performed this year alongside interpreters and text projected on a screen.
Holly Thomas-Mowery translated the monologues into sign language for deaf audience members. Boslau has experience in theatre performing for deaf audiences, but this is her first time performing in front of people who can hear.
“I was excited to be involved because I feel it sends a positive message to BSU,” Boslau said. “I believe the benefit is that there is more awareness for deaf women. People who can hear will understand that we are capable as well because we can do anything a hearing person can do. Some people don’t know that.”
Snow, who teaches her second semester of ASL at BSU, agreed with Boslau. “
Often times, people don’t realize we’re deaf because we don’t look like we have a disability,” Snow said. “We don’t ‘look deaf’.”
Snow and Boslau explained most people do not understand that deaf people speak a completely different language. The scripts for the Vagina Monologues, written in English, were completely translated into ASL.
“One word may have ten different signs, depending on its actual specific intent,” Snow said.
All three women spent hours translating the script before they even began to memorize their lines.
“Just analyzing the script and translating it into ASL was incredibly time consuming,” Boslau said. “It was incredibly challenging and rewarding. Very rewarding.”
Although using sign language for close to 26 years, Thomas-Mowery found translating back and forth both during the rehearsals and performances demanding.
“It’s very challenging. It’s wonderful, but it’s very exhausting work,” Thomas-Mowery said.
After the performance ended, one audience member said that the performance by Snow and Boslau moved her the most. Snow and Boslau performed together about a woman’s experience with rape in Bosnia, and assisted in translating other monologues. ASBSU provided most of the funding for the interpreter. The rest was provided by donations from the Gender Studies Advisory Board, Memory Sisters, and the College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs.
Short URL: http://arbiteronline.com/?p=40485
Posted by Rebecca De León on Feb 21 2010. Filed under Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
