Vignettes of the Deaf Character and Other Plays [Paperback]

Willy Conley (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1563684098 | ISBN-13: 978-1563684098 | Publication Date: June 30, 2009 | Edition: 1st Edition

After spending three years in The National Theatre of the Deaf performing plays by hearing authors featuring hearing characters, Willy Conley realized that he wanted to write plays with deaf, hard-of- hearing, and hearing characters created from the Deaf perspective. Vignettes of the Deaf Character and Other Plays presents the result of his desire in twelve masterful plays.

“I write for the eye, always searching for live, mobile, provocative images that would fill and illuminate the entire stage space with the complexities, the pathos, and the humor involved when deaf and hearing cultures merge or collide,” writes Conley in his introduction. His plays depict a wide range of Deaf characters, including two brothers locked in a tragic rivalry familiar to families of all backgrounds; the broadly comedic Deaf Guide and hearing Techie interspersing laughs with cultural lessons in their Museum of Signs for People with Communication Disorders; Everyone searching for her Good Deeds as she faces imminent Death in an updating of the classic morality play, plus many others. These works explore a broad palette of circumstances with and without hearing characters, allowing Deaf characters to interact minus the direct influence that the dominant culture might exert. Vignettes of the Deaf Character and Other Plays presents the drama and passion of a master playwright who, through his perceptions, reveals facets of the Deaf character in all of us.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Willy Conley is Professor in the Theatre Arts Department at Gallaudet University, Washington, DC.

Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Gallaudet University Press; 1st Edition edition (June 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563684098
• ISBN-13: 978-1563684098
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,621,913 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Play!!, October 17, 2009

By 

Deaf Actor "Deaf Actor" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vignettes of the Deaf Character and Other Plays (Paperback)

Willy Conley is a complete genius, this play is for deaf people to perform and I was one of the characters in this play at NTID, and I was amazed how witty this play was written. "Olives", "The Deaf Chef" and "Dumbbells" are the must-read ones. It's hiliarous and it's worth the $$$$!