Things I learned while watching Scapina at SCT last night
One-note-song time again (Larry harping on Seattle Children's Theater).
Last night, Valorie and I went to see the opening night of "As You Like It" by Shakespeare (adopted by Don Flemming), and "Scapina" by Moliere (adopted by Todd Jefferson Moore).
I haven't laughed that hard since I saw "The Producers" on Broadway.
These shows were SO funny.
As You Like It had huge amounts of physical comedy, and was wonderfully acted. The actors in the show had almost perfect timing, they really nailed the show. There's a wrestling match that's straight out of the WWE in the middle of it, that had the audience roaring.
Scapina, in particular was an eye opener. You see, it was produced as a joint production of SCT and SCT's Deaf Youth Drama Program. As such, about half the cast was hearing, the other half was either deaf or hearing impaired. It was simultaneously signed and spoken - while the deaf cast members were signing, other cast members would speak their lines.
This play was a total hoot - lots of physical comedy and (quite literally) Keystone Kops style hijinks, Valorie and I enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.
Some things I didn't realize...
- ASL clapping is done by waving your hands, fingers outstretched in the air.
- Sidekicks are essentially required accessories for deaf and hearing impaired people - from what I saw in the audience (and on stage), they've ubiquitous. Whenever an actor in the play received a message, it was on a sidekick.
- There is a huge opportunity for physical comedy when the actors in the play need to use their hands to speak. There's one scene where one character is holding a sausage. When they have to speak, they hand the sausage to a neighboring actor, recite their lines, and take the sausage back. Later on in the show, the character complains because it looks like the sausage has been trampled on.
- Theater for the deaf is as much about physical presence as it is about skill in reading the lines. As much of the play was acted out on peoples faces and body language as it was from the words they signed/spoke.
- It's REALLY cool seeing hearing and deaf actors on stage together in the same production - it brings a whole new dimension to the show. I know it's been done in "Big River", but this is the first time I've seen the technique used. My mom saw Big River at Roundabout, but I hadn't had a chance to see it. She was quite sceptical before she saw the show but she absolutely raved about it when we talked the next day.
I know it's late (the shows only run for tonight and tomorrow night), but if you're in the Seattle area, you absolutely should go and see these shows - just show up at the SCT box office at either 6:45 or 8:00 and you should be able to get tickets.
Edit: Added credit to As You Like It, they got short shrift in the original.