Seen & heard (CAN)

What happens when Aselin, a hearing physiotherapy student and Jack, her Deaf teacher boyfriend, unite thirty Deaf and hearing people to mount a unique theatrical adaptation of “The Little Mermaid”​? An eye-opening window into a unique world unfolds. The ​story follows the unusual process of casting and staging a mixed English and American Sign Language (ASL) production. To make it more complex, many of the cast and crew have little or no theatre experience, and most of the Montreal actors use Langue de signes québécoise (LSQ) and don’t know any ASL or English. Once you add in the off-stage story of Aselin’s parents who don’t want their daughter dating a Deaf person and the day-to-day challenges the Deaf cast and crew face navigating the hearing world, constant dramas unfold everywhere. But the biggest struggle happens in the wings, where he norms and values of Deaf culture clash with those of the hearing world. Will the group be able to pull it together and pull it off for show-time?