- December 20, 2024
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Editor’s note: This is the third story in a behind-the-scenes series of the Garden Theatre’s production of “Pippin” — the theater’s most ambitious project yet — and its commitment to education and raising awareness for the deaf community.
'PIPPIN: IN A NEW LIGHT' - Act 1: Ambition
'PIPPIN: IN A NEW LIGHT' - Act 2: Preparation
Theater is meant to be a place where people can play, hence why performances are called “plays.”
For as long as deaf actor Lane Breimhorst can remember, he didn’t feel like he saw people like himself on stage.
Breimhorst was born hard of hearing and started to lose more of his hearing as he got older. He has had hearing aids since he was 5 years old.
Sometimes, Breimhorst said having a disability can feel very isolating, especially in theater.
“It felt like a huge community was being left out and underrepresented,” he said. “That made me feel like I had to hide parts of myself and conform to what I saw on stage to fit into the career I wanted to pursue and to fit into the world in general. Both onstage and off, accessibility gives performers of all kinds of chances to play and share their story with the world. Breaking down barriers and giving more representation is something I’m very passionate about.”
Those feelings have followed Breimhorst throughout his life. However, it has only made him more passionate about creating accessible spaces, both in theater and in the world.
As part of this goal, he is taking on a new role in the Garden Theatre’s production of “Pippin.”
While the musically mesmerizing show will portray the same beloved story that has been shared many times in its more than 50 years, the theater is focusing on accessibility and the talented contributions of deaf actors and creatives for audiences to experience the duality of the hearing and non-hearing world.
“No disabled person should feel guilty for wanting to be listened to and acknowledged,” Breimhorst said. “I am not ashamed of being a deaf person. In fact, I am very proud of my identity and to be involved in our community.”
CREATING MAGIC
The Garden Theatre’s production of “Pippin” will be multilingual, integrating American Sign Language, English and a rich visual language.
The show will highlight the energy and retrospective fantasy of “Pippin,” while also introducing the unique artistry of deaf performers and sign language.
Through carefully crafted portrayals, it is the theater’s intention to challenge stereotypes and illuminate the lived experiences of deaf individuals — a community often overlooked and misunderstood.
The show is being led by Rob Winn Anderson, the mastermind behind the project and the theater’s producing artistic director, Michelle Mary Schaefer, the director of artistic sign language also known as the DASL for the show, and Cindy Wilson, the show’s choreographer.
The team has been working closely to navigate the show, which is one of the Garden Theatre’s most ambitious projects yet.
“Everyone has picked up some ASL they didn’t know and used it through the rehearsal process,” Anderson said. “The support for each other is incredible, and the reactions to what we are creating has been very positive and strong from everyone. I am very lucky to have such professional, talented and dedicated performers to direct. They are making a very challenging project better than I had even imagined.”
Schaefer also has been amazed by the actors, especially those who have no background in ASL.
“They are truly dedicated and pour their soul into the characters and to signing,” she said. “They did a remarkable job that blew me away. They came to the first day of rehearsals so prepared with the signs they have been practicing via video, even though some had no foundation or knowledge of ASL. I have never seen anything like that in my entire theater career. Even watching the understudies practicing gives me goosebumps. … This show is going to be pure magical, and it truly is an honor being part of the journey.”
For Wilson, the dedication shown by the actors has been inspiring.
“Their commitment to learning both sign language and choreography is exceptional,” she said. “I’ve been particularly moved by the way hearing and non-hearing performers have collaborated with such care, compassion and devotion, creating a seamless and powerful unity.”
ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL
Breimhorst, who is playing Pippin, felt the story of the show was something he could connect with.
“Finding my place in the world, struggling with identity and wanting to make the best of life but not knowing where to find it,” he said. “From a deaf perspective, all of these things are things I’ve thought about in relation to my disability, and from a general perspective, these are things that really anyone can relate to. The idea of bringing ASL onto the stage for this show was very intriguing.”
Breimhorst has been working closely with Edwin Perez, the shadow actor voicing Pippin for hearing audiences.
Perez, who has minor experience in ASL, said learning sign has been more exciting than difficult.
“Lane has taught me so much about sign and the culture,” he said. “I think for many years, theater has been told in the same way that does not include a lot of different ways of life. Accessibility in theater is extremely important, because it is an outlet that many people rely on. Seeing yourself represented in this way is more important than the story itself at times.
“Lane and I have connected in so many ways that I couldn’t have imagined before this process,” Perez said. “This is my first time sharing a role with someone during the same performance. Watching Lane’s expressions and body movements and connecting that to the way I say the lines and move my own body has been a challenge, but one I am happy to take on. There’s no one I’d rather go on this journey with every night. I am most excited to see and hear the audience’s reactions to the beautiful story we are telling. I hope we make the deaf community proud.”
Remi Veronica, who plays the leading player representing the hearing world, does not have any ASL background.
Despite the challenge, she said she has been lucky to work with Breimhorst, as well as Treshelle Edmond, who is the deaf actor playing the leading player, to help her learn.
“The most unique challenge of working on a production like this one has been ensuring that the words signed, sung and spoken are done so in tandem,” Veronica said. “It requires flexibility and a truly collaborative mindset to have the respective deaf and hearing leading players come together as a unit. I am looking forward to the seamless incorporation of ASL into the staging and overall storytelling. It’s been beautiful watching everyone work, and I can’t wait for all of the magic to come together.”
Christopher Russell, who plays Charlemagne in the show, also had little experience in ASL. However, he said, the past few weeks have been a joy and he truly cannot wait for the public to see what the cast and crew have worked tirelessly to achieve.
“Theater is all about sharing stories,” he said. “Sometimes, those stories are purely for entertainment purposes. A lot of shows, like ‘Pippin,’ while entertaining, are also trying to teach us something, even if that something is simply the necessity for more empathy and compassion in the world. Theater is one of the most visceral experiences one can have consuming art, and how tragic would it be to keep it accessible to only a small portion of the world? It’s one of the reasons I keep working at the Garden Theatre: their passion for spreading the joys of theater to all members of the community.”
It is the Garden Theatre’s hope that more theaters will open-minded to all possibilities when it comes to creating accessibility for the community.
“It is our innate need to feel accepted by the masses and, as a result, many assimilate, further denying one’s authenticity and sense of self,” Veronica said. “When we push the envelope and stretch what is considered ‘mainstream’ in theater, we create space for acceptance and understanding.
“For me, theater has always been a space of inclusion and education,” Veronica said. “That education requires an approach that incorporates various perspectives. This presents actors and audience members with the opportunity to learn more about individuals and communities one might never encounter regularly. It is when we open ourselves up to the full spectrum of humanity that we can better relate to and understand our fellow human beings. This, in turn, provides space to responsibly tell stories that have the potential to motivate a change in perception of otherwise ignored or overlooked communities.”
