Our Story

Our Mission

Our mission is to bring ASL stories to the forefront of theater. Not Another Deaf Story is an original multimedia theatrical experience being devised in American Sign Language by a diverse ensemble of Deaf actors and artists. We aim to break down barriers, promote cultural understanding and introduce audiences to extraordinary new talent.

OUR JOURNEY

Hilari Scarl, an award-winning film/theater writer/director/producer received a prestigious Creative Capital 2023 grant to create Not Another Deaf Story. She assembled an amazing team of theater professionals from across the world (including Monique “MoMo” Holt as co-director and Gail Winar as creative producer) to collaborate and perform this developmental production at The Group Repertory Theatre in North Hollywood, CA this August 2023. The play is being filmed for consideration by regional theaters for a world premiere in 2024.

THE STORY

The scariest things aren’t ghosts, but the fears we need to face. In an isolated cabin in the woods, an evening of scary stories is disturbed by a spectral presence that takes them on a fantastical journey.

The narrative follows eight strangers who, under false pretenses, gather at a remote cabin and end up confronting a mysterious ghost. As the evening unravels, they share chilling stories, unveiling the secrets of an unseen spirit.

This is the first time a full-length play was developed entirely in ASL, allowing the linguistic nuances of each Deaf actor to authentically inform their stories. The play is seamlessly translated into English, performed by eight voicing actors, allowing hearing audiences access to the ASL-centric experience.

MILESTONES

PROOF OF CONCEPT – Fall 2016 – COMPLETED

REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney Cal Arts Theater – Los Angeles). Not Another Deaf Story was accepted into the Fall Studio Lab to present a 15-minute proof-of-concept. The short piece was devised in ASL by three Deaf actors (Modela Kurzet, Vae and Noel King) with the theme of intersectionality.

DEVELOPMENT – Summer 2023 – COMPLETED

Hilari Scarl received a prestigious Creative Capital grant for Not Another Deaf Story January 2023 (see our announcement video.) The play was developed, the multimedia elements including a short film, an original score and set projections were created. The developmental run at the Group Rep Theater in North Hollywood sold out the entire run, and the play was filmed by a professional film crew. See our playbill from the show.

FILMED VERSION OF THE PLAY – Winter 2024 – TBD

The filmed version of the play is in post-production, and will be used to generate interest, funding and a home for our world premiere.

WORLD PREMIERE OF THE PLAY – TBD

World premiere of the play (regional theater, Off Broadway or national tour.)

Story Development

Great question! Devised theatre is an artistic technique used to develop an original script through improvisation by an ensemble of actors. Hilari has been creating company-developed work for decades with dozens of different ensembles around the world. She starts with a theme – she chose the multi-layered theme of “FEAR” for Not Another Deaf Story – and expands the motif into a narrative story.

The malleable outline of the story was developed in advance, but the characters, scenes and dialogue were developed in ASL with the actors through improvisation and group discussions. A lot of work and thought went into casting. Co-directors Hilari Scarl and Monique “MoMo” Holt held immersive workshops and auditioned Deaf actors from around the world. The stage ensemble of eight dynamic Deaf actors developed the play together. A separate cast of Deaf film actors created the short film that’s woven into the play to reveal the backstory of the ghost. Once the ASL was finalized, the play was translated into English, and voicing actors make the performances fully accessible to all audiences.

HOW CAN I HELP?

Follow us! You’ll be the first to get the news. 

Donate! See options on our donation page.

Contact Us! Email or reach out through social media.

We are thrilled to have you join us! Thank you for supporting Deaf actors and authentic sign language content.

BUT WHERE IS THE SCRIPT?

Another good question! The malleable outline of the story is developed in advance, but the characters, scenes and dialogue are developed in ASL with the actors through improvisation and group discussions. A lot of work and thought goes into the casting. Co-directors Hilari Scarl and Monique “MoMo” Holt held immersive workshops and auditioned Deaf actors from around the world. The stage ensemble of eight dynamic Deaf actors will develop the play together, and the film ensemble of seven fantastic Deaf actors will do the same for the short film that will be woven into the production. The finalized play will be translated into English, and voicing actors will make the performances fully accessible to all audiences.

WHAT IS YOUR TIMELINE?

This 2023 developmental phase consists of three weeks of crafting the story in ASL (July), one week for tech (August) and one week of performances (August.) The team will translate the play into a written script for voicing actors to make the production accessible for audiences who don’t know sign language. Digital projection design and multimedia films will also be produced and incorporated. The filmed stage performance will be edited and captioned this fall and shown to regional and Off-Broadway theaters for world premiere consideration during their 2024/2025 season

HOW CAN YOU WORK THIS QUICKLY?

Our unique team has been working in devised theater for decades. Hilari started Not Another Deaf Story in 2016 during a 15-minute concept piece with the autobiographical theme of “intersectionality” developed in ASL with three Deaf actresses at REDCAT with no funds and only a week of development/rehearsals. Hilari also developed, rehearsed and filmed her TV pilot The Whatever Years with an ensemble of teens in only 6 days – we have 20 days!

HOW CAN I HELP?

Contribute to our Seed & Spark campaign! We are in critical need of final funds for this production. We have some incredible perks, (hello, VIP tickets!) and every dollar truly helps. Please share our fundraising campaign page with your friends.

Volunteer! We’re looking for a few more ASL interpreters for August, social media peeps and ASL to English caption support (including proofreaders.)

Follow us! You’ll be the first to get the news.

Sign up for news

Sign Up

Name

Email

Instagram Facebook Youtube Linkedin

Home
Our Story
Events
Photos
Team
Cast
Donate
Contact Us

Home
Our Story
Events
Photos
Team
Cast
Donate
Contact Us