Courtesy of Alisia Pan

From ballroom dance to heavy metal, student performers at the ASL Variety Show presented a collection of art forms with one collective goal in mind — bringing accessibility and inclusion into the theater.

The ASL Variety Show — a semesterly performance organized by ASL students of all levels featuring all types of art — was held for the third time on Dec. 3. The show, which was hosted by the Jonathan Edwards College theater, included 12 student acts. Students performed or interpreted every act in sign language. The show was open to all audiences with a livestream available to those who were unable to attend.

“Working on the show has meant rethinking how to make theater accessible to a variety of people,” said Jeffrey Steele ’24, director of last Saturday’s holiday-themed Variety Show.

As someone interested in theater as a profession, Steele noted that hosting a show in ASL not only uplifts individuals within the Deaf community but emphasizes how “anyone who wants to come can come” to the theater. Student performers were encouraged to partner with non-ASL students and invite them to the show.

The American Sign Language Program at Yale is an academic pathway that resulted from sustained demand by students to take classes about Deaf history, art, language and culture. The program began in 2018 and has since expanded to meet the growing interest of students to fulfill their language requirement through ASL. Still, the program has limited entry, requiring professor approval for enrollment.

Courtesy of Alisia Pan

Each semester, students are required to participate in a service learning project as part of the ASL curriculum. They work together to identify an issue in the field of Deaf studies and design a project to address that topic.

After learning about the impact of Deaf art and storytelling, many students were compelled to help produce the Variety Show, which also offers them an opportunity to showcase what they have learned in their ASL courses.

Students were able to join the project by contributing their unique talents to the production of the show, with some choosing to perform on stage and others helping out with lighting, ushering, photography or stage management.

Kadidia Sylla ’24, an ASL level 3 student, choreographed an ASL dance interpretation of “Born Again” by Rihanna. She said it was “quite rewarding” to finally perform her rendition to the full JE theater.

Hannah Kurczeski ’26 echoed this sentiment and emphasized the importance of collaboration behind the scenes.

Courtesy of Alisia Pan

My experience in planning and performing was so much fun,” she said. “I had a great time rehearsing, and the entire production team was very organized and made everything run smoothly. The show truly could not have gone on without them.

The show was an incredible opportunity to amplify the voices of the ASL and Deaf communities and bring awareness to inclusive art, Steele said.

Students contributed their talents and experiences to create an inclusive form of art, represented by the cover of the program for the show: the ASL sign for “love”.

American Sign Language II, American Sign Language IV and Critical Issues Facing Deaf People in Society will be offered for the Spring 2023 semester.

MANDY BUSTER