ALIX It's 1988 and the world shifted.

ALIX I was watching the news and found myself glued to television, ALIX unable to look away.

DAYMOND When I came here to Plano, Texas.

DAYMOND that was my first experience with Deaf theater.

DAYMOND The goal of Deaf theater DAYMOND is that it's all accessible for everybody through sign.

ALIX It's that moment.

ALIX That moment when the world shifted, became something more.

ALIX That moment when the world shifted, became something more.

ALIX Reporters were tuned in.

Newspapers flooded the world.

DAYMOND Come closer together now, and chant.. DAYMOND Deaf.

President.

Now!

DAYMOND Get closer together.

ACTORS Deaf.

President.

Now!

PROTESTERS Deaf.

President.

Now!

DAYMOND For this "Deaf.

President.

Now!"

showcase, DAYMOND there are so many different scenes.

DAYMOND We're trying to come up with ways DAYMOND to support all the actors.

DAYMOND Which is really what DAYMOND inspired me to write the script DAYMOND for the "Deaf.

President.

Now!"

showcase.

DAYMOND It's kind of like with this showcase DAYMOND we're trying to teach DAYMOND and inspire others DAYMOND how to become heroes in the Deaf community from the Deaf President Now protest.

DAYMOND We can be our own hero.

DAYMOND We can change our own path.

DAYMOND Because seeing the Deaf President Now protest happen, DAYMOND impacted and inspired all of us.

DALE I mean, for Deaf President Now protest, DALE Deaf students were ready to have their own identity DALE as seen in their own president.

DALE But then what happened?

DALE The board decided to pick a woman who did not even know how to sign at all.

DALE They've realized that in the 80s, DALE many Hearing people DALE were still oppressing and suppressing DALE Deaf people.

CATHY Not that.

CATHY Is it lined up?

CATHY Is this lined up with that down on the floor?

ALIX Yes.

CATHY Good?

Perfect.

CATHY All right, go ahead and staple it in.

DAYMOND For me to have access into that Hearing world, DAYMOND I'm always having to say...I'm Deaf.

(And they always say) "That's cool!

That's cool!"

DAYMOND And then, when I try to be involved, DAYMOND (They continue to say) "Yeah!

Yeah!

Yeah!"

DAYMOND I'm like, well, no, I'm interested in DAYMOND getting access to an interpreter.

DAYMOND Which means I have to understand... DAYMOND their goals, their intentions, and I have to try to match them.

DAYMOND Which makes it hard for me, DAYMOND that I have to meet their expectations.

DAYMOND I can't speak for all other Deaf actors out there, DAYMOND because maybe they had a different journey than I did.

DAYMOND But I can share one challenge that we all have in common.

DAYMOND And that challenge will always be accessibility.

AMBER I'm really hoping that AMBER Hearing people that don't have as much AMBER education and experience in our world, AMBER can get a glimpse of our heart AMBER and our abilities.

AMBER We are preaching AMBER a little bit about our culture, our history, and what it is AMBER to have our Deaf heart and our abilities shine.

AMBER And so I really hope we have the audience for that.

SOUND ENGINEER Maybe?

DAYMOND I can't hear anything.

I'm Deaf.

DAYMOND They can hear more than I can.

SOUND ENGINEER You can hear it?

DAYMOND I'm Deaf.

I can't hear anything.

HAILEY Well, we've been students at the TCC HAILEY interpreting program for like, two years now, so Day Day has done... HAILEY Daymond has done a couple of plays now, and we've been to them to see them.

HAILEY We've just never been involved.

HAILEY And then this one, we were just like, we should do it.

HAILEY It'd be fun.

And it and it's fun.

FAIRY This is one of his more relaxed showings for people who are kind of new to it.

FAIRY This reflects deaf culture a lot, FAIRY but it is interesting to see somebody perform sign language FAIRY because it adds an extra layer of emotion that wasn't there before.

FAIRY It's incredibly beautiful, and personally, I think the English translation of FAIRY it doesn't do it justice.

HAILEY No, it's not even close.

DAYMOND We have to show how we're doing it DAYMOND with our facial expressions.

DAYMOND I mean, body language DAYMOND and your facial expressions DAYMOND are your words.

DAYMOND INTERVIEW Your eyes, DAYMOND INTERVIEW your mouth movements, your eyebrows... DAYMOND INTERVIEW how you move your body.

DAYMOND INTERVIEW The goal of the words have to be analyzed and taken apart to find the meaning.

DAYMOND INTERVIEW The director of artistic sign language DAYMOND INTERVIEW will help the Deaf actors translate the English words from the script DAYMOND INTERVIEW and teach how to understand the words DAYMOND INTERVIEW in the language that it is.

DAYMOND So the actors work with the director DAYMOND to take the body language and the English language and consider the stage DAYMOND to figure out how to make that all into one picture.

DAYMOND So it looks good.

DAYMOND It feels good.

DAYMOND I want to see it.

DAYMOND Put it on.

DAYMOND Remember, you're that little train that could.

DAYMOND I think I can.

I think I can.

I think I can.

Choo!

Choo!

SYMANTHA It's actually cute!

REBEKAH because we understand each other.

REBEKAH We can hold each other accountable... REBEKAH for cues and stuff.

REBEKAH I remember one show REBEKAH there was a half-Deaf cast REBEKAH and a half-Hearing cast.

REBEKAH Half of them didn't know sign.

REBEKAH I had to pretend that I understood them.

REBEKAH But all I saw were their lips moving REBEKAH and I'd make faces like this.

DAYMOND The goal is always for DAYMOND everybody to feel welcome here at the Deaf theater.

DAYMOND I feel like... DAYMOND I'm at home.

DAYMOND This is my favorite picture.

APRIL Let me see.

APRIL That's cool.

DAYMOMD That's from California, DAYMOMD from before you were born.

DAYMOND Look at this picture.

APRIL Oh, I see your hearing aids.

DAYMOND We had the hearing aids in our ears and an FM system, DAYMOMD but it was a box that was strapped to your chest DAYMOMD and then it would connect to your hearing aids.

DAYMOND But I didn't like it.

It was so big.

APRIL It looks so big.

How does that fit your ear?

DAYMOND I know my ears are small.

APRIL I see that.

DAYMOND It connected to the teacher's microphone DAYMOMD so I could hear what the teacher was saying, but I didn't care.

DAYMOND I didn't want to wear hearing aids all the time, DAYMOMD because if there was any background noise that was loud, it was distracting.

APRIL Especially if you're having a conversation with one person, APRIL you don't want to be distracted by the background noise.

DAYMOND If somebody banged on the door or dropped something, it felt like I was hearing DAYMOND that sound in my head, like a drummer in my ear.

DAYMOND There were compartments for the FM systems DAYMOND that we had to put them in so that they would charge overnight.

DAYMOND I would take some of the FM systems and disconnect the batteries.

DAYMOND The next day we'd show up and they'd be dead.

DAYMOND So I didn't have to wear it that day.

APRIL So you didn't have to use it?

DAYMOND Yes.

APRIL You were a horribly bad kid.

DAYMOND No, I was an angel.

AMBER A wave out to the side.

AMBER There you go.

One, two.

AMBER Back to the front, three.

AMBER And then we want your arm, AMBER your fingers to just barely touch.

AMBER Start twirling.

JESSICA That's too close.

JESSICA You don't want that to be touching.

ALIX My best friend's coming.

ALIX A lot of my coworkers are coming.

ALIX A lot of people I know within the community.

ALIX The Deaf (community) is very small.

ALIX So as a result, every time that there's a Deaf event, ALIX you're always going to see somebody that you know there.

BRITTANY You're in row D, seat 13 and 14.

AUDIENCE MEMBER So 13 and 14.

BRITTANY Yes, 13 and 14 is on the left hand side.

BRITTANY When you walk in, you'll be able to see it.

DALE Congratulations!

Very proud!

DAYMOND I'll be right back.

DARRELL We have a big vision at the North Texas Performing Arts.

DARRELL We believe everyone should have the opportunity DARRELL for the profound experience DARRELL of taking the stage and having their voices heard.

DARRELL Daymond has created some very unique messages DARRELL where he's telling a story not just to the Deaf community, DARRELL he's telling a story to the hearing community.

DARRELL He's helping open up our eyes to the challenges, the difficulties, DARRELL and the opportunities for those in the Deaf world.

AUDIENCE MEMBER They told me they have interpreters, AUDIENCE MEMBER so I thought, oh, okay.

(AUDIENCE MEMBERS IN DIALOUGE) Is this your first time learning ASL?

AUDIENCE MEMBERS IN DIALOUGE Yes, I just recently started losing my hearing.

AUDIENCE MEMBERS IN DIALOUGE So I'm just now learning.

DARRELL What we learn in our lives is everybody has a special story to tell, DARRELL and there are unique stories DARRELL and challenging stories and stories that we can all learn from.

DARRELL Good evening.

DARRELL Good to see you all.

DARRELL Thank you all for being here.

DARRELL Thank you for being here DARRELL and thank you for continuing to be a part (CATHY INTERPRETING FOR CAST) and thank you for continuing to be a part (CATHY INTERPRETING FOR CAST) of supporting our shows.

ALIX For 124 years, we thrived ALIX through seasons... ALIX of pain.

ACTORS ON STAGE Deaf!

President!

Now!

DAYMOND For the dinner table syndrome scene, DAYMOND I want to show what happens when a Deaf person is sitting at the table DAYMOND and all the Hearing people there are having conversations around them.

DAYMOND They are laughing, and the Deaf person is trying to catch these little bits, DAYMOND and are always asking what was said.

DAYMOND The Deaf person is trying to catch these DAYMOND small scraps of the conversation, DAYMOND and they're just left not understanding.

DAYMOND The Deaf person asks their parents to interpret what's being said at the table, DAYMOND and the parents always say, "I'll tell you later."

DAYMOND And then it's always later... DAYMOND But why later?

DAYMOND I want to know now.

ALIX Dad, you want me to learn ALIX how to become an independent ALIX lady, right?

ALIX Do you not think I'm capable of being an adult?

ALIX Do you not think I can't still achieve ALIX all the things you wish that I could?

DAYMOND I'm going to make sure that the Hearing people DAYMOND watching the "Deaf.

President.

Now."

showcase DAYMOND understand and they go DAYMOND "That's how you felt this entire time?"

DAYMOND And the Deaf person will go, "YES!"

ALIX In this season, ALIX I'm breaking free.

DAYMOND You can't just expect for us DAYMOND to do all of the work.

DAYMOND Give me access to all of you.

DAYMOND We work ten times harder DAYMOND to be able to communicate with everyone.

ALIX I am Deaf.

ALIX And I am... ALIX proud.

CATHY You were loud.

ALIX Thank you.

DAYMOND As a deaf person, you go looking for your own home DAYMOND that's on the same level, DAYMOND same communication, empathy and understanding.

DAYMOND Finding someone who can sign with you, DAYMOND so you can feel that connection.

LIGHTING ENGINEER We've got to wait for the birds.

PLAY Mommy, why are the birds on the telephone line PLAY being so jumpy?

PLAY Well, that particular line is a TTY line.

PLAY That's what's making the birds jump so much.

DAYMOND It's time to educate.

DAYMOND So I wrote the script DAYMOND to share that story.

FAIRY Daymond ran backstage during intermission, FAIRY and we heard that a lot of the audience members were crying.

REBEKAH Feeling great!

REBEKAH Yeah.

REBEKAH I just wanted to connect with them.

REBEKAH To be impactful.

REBEKAH To really influence them and help them feel the message.

AUDIENCE MEMBER You know, in our family, that dynamic of I'm Hearing and she's Deaf.

AUDIENCE MEMBER Seeing that dinner table scene, AUDIENCE MEMBER that was our family.

AUDIENCE MEMBER I'm proud of you.

DARRELL Everybody has a story to tell.

DARRELL That means that you have to think about DARRELL communities that otherwise wouldn't have that opportunity to take the stage.

DARRELL And it's so absolutely critical, that we hear those voices.

DARRELL In doing that, we make ourselves better.

DARRELL We become better people, we become more whole.

DAYMOND Thank you.

DAYMOND Did you enjoy it?

DALE We don't want to forget DALE what we went through before, DALE because history can repeat itself again.

We want to keep teaching DAYMOND You are not alone.

DAYMOND We are with you.

DAYMOND You are not forgotten.

DAYMOND We are here together.

DAYMOND The legacy I want to leave behind DAYMOND is to support and encourage.

DAYMOND To pass on my candle flame... DAYMOND and let that spread DAYMOND to the rest of the community.