In four days in June I had the wonderful opportunity to attend two plays.

Presented by the Wheat City Theatre

While on a road trip to visit a friend, she gifted me a ticket to a play, the Heathers, The Musical presented by the Wheat City Theatre . Lisa Vasconcelos, the director, said in her notes on the brochure that [She] “knew it would be a BIG risk to bring Heathers to Brandon.. . . “There have been many moments while directing Heathers that I have been pushed outside my comfort zone.” But she believed it was important for us, which I believe included the production staff, the actors and the audience to think about the dangers teenagers experience everyday and the power of words.

I was pulled forward in my seat wanting to experience every nuance in the production. This show takes place in 1989, in a high school and deals with bullying, gun violence, homophobia and teen suicide.The difference I found is that in 1989, it may have been shocking but today, in 2016 it wasn’t shocking anymore, it was difficult to see and disturbing.  Yes, it had its humorous moments and its shocking moments but, but, it had lost its shock value for me. I’ve seen these incidents played out on our TVs,  in our newspapers, and social media daily. I believe these issues need to be in the forefront and we all need to be sensitive to the words we use every day, I commend Lisa Vasconcelos and the Wheat City Theatre for bringing this production to Brandon, Manitoba. I also thank my friend for the experience gift to see this musical.

The next play I attended was Deaf Crows.

We are not copies of hearing people. We are deaf.

I was fortunate because they had added more plays and I was able to attend on the last night of the performance. I gifted my mother an experience  because she, after many years of using hearing aids, is totally deaf.

This play is described as a “physical theatre play.” It was written and performed by Deaf and Hard of Hearing youth and other members of the Deaf Community.

The Deaf Crow symbolizes isolation.  These actors related to this symbol because without words it is hard to make friends with hearing kids.

CBC Saskatchewan http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/deaf-crows-art-opens-up-regina-students-june7-1.3621554

This play is about what happens to kids without words without language. I was surprised to learn that health care professionals are still encouraging children to attempt to hear with all aids, “to use his ears, because if he doesn’t he won’t.” But if children can’t hear they are subjected to bullying and isolation. Some of these children shut down or they become bullies. It doesn’t matter if the deaf can speak or sign or both, all the possible tools should be provided for their success.

This play showed the audience with the use of puppets, mime, masks,projection, and American Sign Language the personal stories about growing up deaf and living in a hearing world.

Joanne Weber, Co-Writer, Co-Director told the audience that the actors grew as individuals while they worked on this play. They discovered community. They were not alone. As a society we need to help those with hearing impairment have all the tools they can gather to accomplish their words and their dreams.

I know that everyday my mother misses more and more. She is a great observer but she used to love to dance and sing. These she no longer does. She and my father attempted to learn sign in their 80s but felt they were too old to master it. Some of the grandchildren began to learn sign but life gets in the way and as with every language, it needs practice.

In some ways we are lucky my mother had hearing for as many years as she did, and she can talk, although her voice is deteriorating. She can read and we all write notes to her and use an alpha smart to have longer conversations, but it isn’t the same. During this production, I wrote quickly to give her some clues about what was happening.

I’m thankful this play was produces and I could take my mother with me to see it. She wasn’t alone in her deafness for a short time.