The Not Another Deaf Story Project (title of the play to be determined) will gather stories from a vibrant array of diverse individuals in the Deaf community, especially those from intersectional marginalized groups including Deaf LGBTQ/BIPOC artists. Initial themes will focus on fear, friendship, and love, and become more focused and nuanced, as stories are collected. During a month-long development workshop, an ensemble of Deaf actors will shape these stories using their unique perspectives and weave them together into a cohesive, dynamic 90-minute performance. The play will be developed in American Sign Language first and then translated into a written script. Voicing actors will enable live performances to be fully accessible. The use of multimedia projections will serve as a visual backdrop, utilizing photos, videos, and virtual set design to enhance the live production and create a fully inclusive theatrical experience for both hearing and Deaf audiences. The goal of this project is to invite hearing audiences into an ASL-centric experience to deepen cultural understanding and recognize our universal humanity. This work is inspired by the social-justice storytelling of Anna Deavere Smith, the authenticity of dancers’ stories in A Chorus Line, the female-centric stories of The Vagina Monologues, and the original perspectives of transgender women in Trans Scripts. Scarl apprenticed at the Academy Theatre in Atlanta as a young teen where she was first trained in this devised improvisational theater technique with innovative actors/directors including Tony Award-Winner Kenny Leon. She further developed this “casting-first” writing technique through dozens of international productions, a TV pilot, and a short work-in-progress with Deaf actors at REDCAT. This production will be codirected by Scarl and Monique Holt (Gallaudet University), with Gail Winar (Trans Scripts) collaborating as part of the creative producing team. Previews of this work-in-progress are tentatively set to be performed in Los Angeles in August 2023 with the goal of further performance possibilities including a national tour, regional theaters, and/or Off Broadway.

https://notanotherdeafstory.com/