Calgary’s deaf and hearing artists join for unique theatre play

While theatre performances are common, witnessing a bilingual, English and sign language play is certainly an experience for theatre-goers.

A “bi-lingual” play involving Calgary artists called 100 Years of Darkness, which includes both deaf and hearing actors of Inside Out Theatre, starts Wednesday.

It was written and produced by Landon Krentz, a deaf artist who spoke with CityNews with sign language and a translator.

He says it took three years of hard work to bring this play to the stage, and he says it’s been challenging in many aspects.

“There are always challenges when you’re merging deaf and hearing artists. You have to have an understanding, a communication and also a cultural understanding,” Krentz said.

“So often, those things can conflict and not align.”

The story revolves around three deaf students who are being forced into experiments by a deaf scientist to assimilate into society as a “cure” for their deaf language and culture.

It is based on students who survived schools for the deaf, which existed throughout the 19th century, along with the impacts of a sign language ban that existed in Canada in the 1880s.

Actors go through rehearsal at The Joyce Doolittle Theatre in The Pumphouse Theatre Centre in Calgary. (Henna Saeed, CityNews photo)

Col Cseke, the artistic director of the play, says theatre was severely impacted due to the pandemic, and three years later, they are happy for its revival through this bilingual play.

“We haven’t been able to do live theatre for a good number of years during COVID, So being able to bring everyone back together in the room and to welcome in a really diverse hearing and deaf audience, it’s very exciting,” Cseke said.

Krentz says the deaf community has been deprived of performing and experiencing theatrical plays.

“I want the Canadian theatre community to hire and create more deaf-led projects. By deaf for deaf,” said Krentz.

100 Years of Darkness runs at the Pumphouse Theatre in Calgary from March 15 to March 18, and he says he is “exhausted, excited, fearful, nervous.”

“It’s been a roller coaster of emotions as I donned various hats for this play,” he said.

“I’ve written this play in English without the [American Sign Language], so I’ve given the deaf artists the freedom to express in their natural language.”

Tickets are available online.