Two prints of my self-portrait came in the mail from an online printing service. I opened the package and my God I was stunned by the excessive beauty of the work. The two work are printed at 16x20 size.
National Technical Institute for the Deaf will exhibit these two photos for their 50th Anniversary event coming up this early June. The jurists chose the two work. The art exhibit will showcase artwork by deaf and hard of hearing artists from all over the country. I am indeed honored and excited to become part of the big exhibit during the 50th Anniversary. As the fact, I am an Alumni and enrolled the institution in 1983. This artwork contribution will only make me feel special, for I was a student there back then.
Enjoy the picture below and you need to click on the picture in order to see it bigger.
I performed as a bad dentist Orin for Little Shop of Horrors that took place at MuCCC theatre downtown Rochester from April 26th to April 29th. This production was directed by Luane Davis Haggerty, which American Sign Language (ASL) was used among the deaf/hard of hearing/ASL-skilled hearing cast members; spoken English words were used with songs and spoken lines onstage. There was a live band onstage, which they were fabulous. A plant Audrey 2 had sign language person and two sign language persons (when grown the largest toward the end of the show). The puppeteer Tess did the tasks amazingly.
I had a great time acting as a stupid, ridiculous, arsehole Orin with lines that were hysterical and acting that turned out exaggerated as mean, idiotic, and funny. This character I was in made me see how a person with that kind of personality really look like and act like in real life out there (say...you know...our leader in D.C. - sigh). I was able to act like the bad dentist when thinking of Grinch in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and Alec Baldwin as Trump on Saturday Night Live. That kind of thinking enabled me to be funny and mean at the same time, which is rewarding for me to be able to do so. I also went beyond just using ASL when acting as Orin. I created sign language that are not usually used during regular conversations with the deaf/hard of hearing/ASL-skilled people out in the public. I created sign languages that were home-made by myself.
For example, "Oh, Seymore, I'm flying now!" I used my two hands and had them next to my left and right side of my head, and then moved them like wings of a bird, flapping them up and down, showing that my head is really flying as "High" due to the laughing gas. This kind of creativity enabled my character to be much more hilarious. All in all, acting as Orin, the bad dentist, had been a great and favorite character I have ever acted in.
I shall thank Annette Dragon for photographing me as Orin. Enjoy the pictures. In order to see them larger, you need to click on the pictures.
