Opera House Players build community sharing stageDate: 5/9/2022 ENFIELD, CT – “You have a show that is about love and trust. Help your castmates and community help each other.”
So said Sharon FitzHenry, who is the director and choreographer of the rock musical “Next to Normal,” on stage this month at the Enfield Annex. The “community” isn’t just the cast or the world of theater. It’s also the world of American Sign Language (ASL). Each role in this Opera House Players production is interpreted twice: by a speaking actor and by a signing actor, making the play welcoming to deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
“Next to Normal” is a story about a mother who struggles with bipolar disorder and the effects of a worsening mental illness on a family. As they navigate the complex and conflicting emotions of the plot, cast members also execute the smooth dance of having two actors portraying each character, communicating the same thoughts in two languages.
“The process of working with another actor as the same role is nice,” said Michael DeVito of Springfield, the speaking actor who plays Gabe, the family’s son. Of Colby Trembley, his sign language double, he said, “He and I mirror each other a lot when we are up there, we are walking out on the same time at the same pace. It is great to have that ... It is one of the things where you can look at the other person on stage and share the same moment.”
The performers hope their production opens minds to new ideas, both in how it is presented and in the content of the play itself.
“We are all a little broken,” said Darik Velez, the speaking actor who plays Dan, the husband and father. “This show is about a family who has poor communication and struggles with mental health; I believe this is something we all can relate to on some level. I believe there is a moment for all of us, while being in this show, that we have gotten choked up.”
Cast members kept returning to the word “community” when describing what they hope this performance builds.
“I hope more of these shows happen,” said Trembley. “I believe this speaks immensely to the deaf community and shows that this is what theater is. Theater is about the acceptance and welcoming of the LGBTQ+ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and more], sexuality, genders, backgrounds and languages; it is a community, and I hope this brings light to that.”
K.C. Beauregard, the speaking actor who plays Diana, the wife and mother at the center of the story, works as a counselor in the ASL and deaf community, and believes a bilingual performance like this will be empowering for those who use ASL. Joseph Ronan, a signing actor in the production, said he enjoyed working side-by-side with Chris Weber of Springfield, his speaking counterpart.
“I have never done a musical before,” signed Ronan. “This is a challenge and takes lots of practice to be on time and be synced up with the other actor, but it’s a lot of fun.”
Other actors in the production from Greater Springfield include Silk Johnson of Chicopee and Samantha Choquette of Longmeadow.
“Next to Normal” features pop-rock musical pieces written by Tom Kitt, with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey. For more information, visit www.operahouseplayers.org/show-info-n2n.
Upcoming performances of “Next to Normal” are at 8 p.m. on May 13, 14, 20 and 21, and at 2 p.m. on May 15 and 22, at the Enfield Annex, 124 N. Maple St., Enfield, CT. Tickets are $23 per person, or $19 for seniors (60 years of age and older), students and children. Masks are required for all audience members.
The May 15 performance will conclude with a panel discussion and question-and-answer session with the cast and production team about deaf inclusion in the arts. The production is a co-production with the Connecticut Deaf Theatre and funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
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