Deafy

“Dodd is an ace storyteller, a master of those wry eyebrow lifts and rueful shrugs that, along with precision comic timing, set the old school comedians apart.”

-Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca

 

Deaf public speaker, Nathan Jesper has arrived at his venue, desperately late. As he launches into his speech, he soon realizes that things are not what they seem. A new play by Deaf artist Chris Dodd, Deafy skillfully combines ASL, subtitles and the spoken word to weave together a tragicomedy that takes the audience on an unexpected journey of discovering what it really means to belong.

 

There will be a post-show talk-back on April 11th.

 

Accessibility

The show features integrated accessibility. It is presented in ASL, English and captions and Deaf, hearing and hard of hearing audiences can participate equally.

Sensory Warnings: None

Content Warnings: Coarse language, mentions of bullying & self-harm*

Please indicate any accessibility needs, including wheelchair accessible seating or if you require seating with no stairs, in the provided field. We will do our best to assign seating that works for you and get in touch if we have any questions.

 

 

*(show spoilers ahead) Ambiguous allusion to character suicide, not explicit.

 

Credits

Chris Dodd – Writer / Performer

Ashley Wright – Director

Sarah Karpyshin – Production Designer / Surtitlist

Rory Turner – Associate Lighting Designer / Surtitlist

Dave Clarke – Sound Designer

Ainsley Hillyard – Movement Coach

Erin Hayes – Stage Manager

Amorena Bartlett – ASL Coach

Joshua Meredith – Vocal Coach

 

About the Artists

Chris Dodd is a Treaty 6 based (Edmonton) award-winning Deaf actor, playwright, accessibility advocate and Governor General Innovation Award finalist. He is the founder and artistic director of SOUND OFF, Canada’s national festival devoted to Deaf performance. Chris holds a degree from the University of Alberta’s Drama program and has been working within Edmonton’s theatre community, and across Canada, for over 25 years. Deafy, was presented as part of the Highwire Series during the Citadel Theatre’s 2022/23 season and has been published by Playwrights Canada Press as part of the anthology, “Interdependent Magic: Disability Performance in Canada”. Notable performances include the role of Alphonse in Ultrasound at Theatre Passe Muraille. Recent film credits include the role of Odin in the feature film, Finality of Dusk. In 2019 he was the recipient of the Guy Laliberté Prize for innovation and creative leadership by the Canada Council for the Arts.

Ashley Wright has appeared in productions with: Arts Club Theatre and Bard on the Beach (Vancouver); The Citadel Theatre (Edmonton); ATP and Theatre Calgary (Calgary); Manitoba Theatre Centre and Winnipeg Jewish Theatre (Winnipeg); The Globe Theatre (Regina); and Theatre Passe Muraille, Factory Theatre, Tarragon Theatre, Mirvish and Canadian Stage (Toronto). He recently received an MFA in directing from the University of Alberta, and has written several plays, including the award winning Silent Words, starring Chris Dodd.

 

Pay-What-You-Ten Tickets: 10% of tickets are available for $10, in an effort to make theatre more accessible to equity-seeking groups, newcomers, artists & arts workers, and anyone for whom cost is a barrier. We believe the arts have something to offer everyone and we want to reduce financial barriers to our programming. No registration, forms to fill out, or questions asked. Just select the PWY10 ticket when booking online.

 

Arrival at the venue: The doors will open 30 minutes ahead of showtime. Masks are strongly encouraged inside the theatre.

 

Refunds: If you are not feeling well or have any symptoms, please stay home to help keep everyone safe. We are able to discuss refunds on a case by case basis due to health reasons before the performance. Please contact tickets@intrepidtheatre.com. We are unable to arrange refunds after a performance has occurred.