Sign language performance - Essay Example

Sign Language Performance I came to know about the show, “not by bread alone” through the deafNYC website. I was very excited about the event so decided to be the audience of the show. As soon as I reached the theatre, I saw a huge number of individuals standing in the queue, waiting for their turn to get inside. So I also stood in the queue and had a glanced on the people and I found that there were different people, couples, students and families. There were two elderly ladies standing next to me who asked me if I have ever been to this theater before and I responded that no this is my first time.

While conversing, I came to know that one of these ladies was a speech pathologist and therefore I let her know that I am studying this field also. Both of them were also very excited about the show like me. Upon getting inside, we eventually got seated while the deaf- blind actors were making dough on the stage and sometimes assistants provided directions to them in finding their spots but most of the time they used their sense of touch to detect the edges of the table.As the show began all lights were shut down and a background male voice started speaking in Hebrew.

A translation screen was provided along with ASL interpreter. The actor started introducing himself and his fellows. He spoke for few dumb actors. Since they were lined up behind the cooking table, the mode utilized for transferring information was by tapping on the next person’s shoulder and used sign language by holding each others hand so they each of them know what they are signing. The piece of information was then transferred to the speak-able actor with finger spelling by tapping different part of the finger, and then the message was conveyed by the speak-able actor to the audience.

One of the actor said he wants to run without help. Another actor said he wants to sing. The started by making bread and putting it in an onstage huge oven. Then while waiting for the bread to be ready, the actors and actresses presented different stories about their daily life, about how they became deaf and mute, about how they feel about the world and how they perceive the world feels about them. I wish I could read their sign language right away during the show because I didn’t want to move my eyes to the translation screen instead of focusing on all the performance as it was inducing frustration.

I was worried that I have missed the important part of their “speech”. By the end of the show, everyone sung a beautiful song using sign language and then actors invited audience to the stage and taste their bread. I went up to the stage and I did not know if they understand American Sign Language. So I just used the sign I learnt through the show “clapping” to exhibit how amazing the show was. I was told by one of the actors that I am a female only by touching my hand. It was a great experience for me as I learnt how people communicate using sign language instead of verbal communication (Stewart, Stewart and Little 30).

Works CitedStewart, David Alan., Stewart, Elizabeth and Little, Jessalyn. American Sign Language: The Easy Way. Barrons Educational Series, 2007. Print.