FLASHBACK: Deaf West’s ‘Spring Awakening’ Demands to be Heard and Deserves to be Seen

On June 7th, 2015, The Wallis Annenberg mounted the sold out production of Spring Awakening, by LA's 99-seat theatre company Deaf West. I’d seen Spring Awakening before, but hearing such great things about this production, I decided to make the trek from the valley to see what all the fuss was about. Unbeknownst to me, I was about to witness one of the most stunning, innovative pieces of art I've been privileged to attend. If you are unfamiliar with the company, Deaf West features deaf or partially deaf actors throughout their shows. In this production, the deaf actors had full hearing "shadow cast members" that performed the main cast's songs and dialogue in dim light while the main actors performed in full light using ASL (American Sign Language). At times, the shadow cast would join in as an active part of the play, doubling as the main actors' inner voices playfully pushing them toward their innermost desires, or attempting to draw them away from the pit falls that eventually would swallow them whole. This device brought such a bright and inventive visual to the overall production, it was mesmerizing. I found myself entranced by the beauty of ASL. The dance-like quality of the language conveyed intentions effortlessly through the arms and hands, propelling emotions like a bullet from the tips of their fingers, to pierce the audiences' souls. I felt every nuance down to my bones, especially in "The Mirror-Blue Night" when the actors don blue light gloves on a barely lit stage, sending beams dancing around the space as they signed. Director Michael Arden skillfully intertwined the language throughout the show; so much so that you question why this wasn't the way Spring Awakening has been performed from its inception. Paired with the gorgeous production value, there is no surprise that this show went from a small theater in North Hollywood all the way to Broadway.

Some believe it comes too soon on the heels of the original production, which closed in 2009; but I disagree. This isn't just another quickly remounted production for the sake of making money like in recent years on Broadway (i.e. Cabaret). It brings people with disabilities to the forefront of society as artists and portrays sign language as an art form in and of itself. Not only does it champion individuals who are hearing impaired, the production also has a wheel chair bound actress in the chorus. When this production hit Broadway, it made history by having the first actor who's wheelchair-bound grace a Broadway stage. How is it possible that this hasn't happened before now? Thus solidifying the fact that this production deserves to be among the chosen elite on The Great White Way. From the moment I left the Annenberg that night, I've been inspired as an artist to constantly try to find ways to turn theatre on its head and push the boundaries of what people perceive theatre can and should be, and I know I'm not the only one.