{"id":421,"date":"2017-03-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.northcentral.edu\/blog\/ncu-theatre-presents-importance-earnest-full-asl-shadow-cast\/"},"modified":"2021-03-02T02:32:36","modified_gmt":"2021-03-02T02:32:36","slug":"ncu-theatre-presents-importance-earnest-full-asl-shadow-cast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.northcentral.edu\/blog\/ncu-theatre-presents-importance-earnest-full-asl-shadow-cast\/","title":{"rendered":"NCU Theatre presents Importance of Being Earnest with full ASL shadow cast"},"content":{"rendered":"

The North Central University (NCU) Theatre<\/a> spring production of Oscar Wilde\u2019s classic comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest, features a double-size cast, as each actor has a \u201cshadow\u201d character portraying the part concurrently in American Sign Language (ASL). The show, which opens March 24, is the first of its kind for the university.<\/p>\n

North Central\u00a0offers majors in ASL interpreting<\/a> and it was students in that program who approached Assistant Professor Wayne Matthews<\/a>, the show\u2019s director, about the idea of a fully interpreted show. Matthews quickly embraced the suggestion and decided to pursue an ASL-acted show this season. \u201cI am very interested in partnering with other communities and opening accessibility,\u201d Matthews said. \u201cTheatre is a great place to bring understanding between cultures and people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Capturing the nuance of theatre and interpretation<\/h2>\n

Associate Professor Bill Ross of the ASL Interpreting Department serves as the ASL coach for the production. Matthews pointed out the importance of Ross\u2019s participation. \u201cBill has been there to help coach the actors because interpreting is not the same as translating something,\u201d Matthews noted. \u201cThere are nuances that wouldn\u2019t be understood by the Deaf community if done a certain way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"North<\/p>\n

And Wilde\u2019s farcical look at Victorian society is laced with nuance! Both the speaking actors and ASL actors have had to wrestle with Wilde\u2019s subtlety and it has been a learning experience for all the actors to bring Wilde\u2019s meaning\u2014and humor\u2014to life.<\/p>\n

Members of the deaf community who attend the play will experience theatre quite differently than with a normal show with one ASL interpreter off to the side. The play is fully blocked and staged so that the whole audience can see both the speaking actor and his\/her ASL counterpart wherever they are on the stage.<\/p>\n

Come to the show!<\/h3>\n

The Importance of Being Earnest runs March 24\u201326 and March 30\u2013April 2 on the North Central University campus in Minneapolis, in the Trask Word & Worship Center. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday performances at 3 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults \/ $10 for Children 10 & under, and Seniors.<\/p>\n