HANDS UP SILENT THEATRE

Three years ago I received an email from a woman who was experiencing progessive hearing loss. She told me a story of her life as a pianist and the impact of losing her hearing. She and her young daugther, Haley, loved music theatre and going to shows. However, when they went to the shows they could not enjoy them without ASL interpreters and when they did have them they were off to the side, which meant they missed the action. It was then and there that they decided to create their own ASL theatre.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/5f589c_99963eecaba54bd79618ba9ae6b403f0/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Nine season later and they are now preparing for their 10th anniversary with a production of Lion King in 2027. https://www.handsup-theatre.org/about-hands-up

At first, of course, I was coming to this ASL theatre thing just purely from the Laurent Clerc history thing. Then in the last 3 years I watched these young people, too quiet to "peep" become confident performers and ASL signers. Several graduated last year and enter ASL interpreter programs at RIT. Hearing kids falling in love with Laurent's ASL. Magnificent!

So, I am not good as asking for help. And I know that so many others are asking for support for their causes. But here it goes. If anyone is looking for a place to support or knows of anyone who is trying to find a worthy cause have them check out Hands Up Silent Theatre. There is a donate page on their website. Help us promote ASL among the hearing and deaf. Let's give a shout out to Laurent and give back to his cause of advancing sign language in America.

We are in desperate need of $2500 to hire a grant writer to stablize the company fianancially and allow us to take the it to the next level in 2027!

If interested in helping us out, please email me here on the webpage or at thelaurentclercstampproject@gmail.com to chat about it further with me.

Or go to the donation page of Hands Up Silent Theatre

Thank you.

Laurent and Laurent