| Shakespeare Translated: A new approach to a classic text. This was a research, translation and performance project that focused on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Solar Bear worked with professional actors (Deaf and hearing), members of Solar Bear UNITED, Deaf young people, schools, community groups and organizations in developing and delivering this project. Following on from its Seeing Voices project, Solar Bear was keen to explore the staging techniques that it had developed in relation to a mainstream piece of theatre. These staging techniques related particularly to investigations into the role of the Sign Language Interpreter (SLI) in theatre. With Seeing Voices, Solar Bear had employed a Deaf actor and a SLI, and trained four hearing actors in basic signing skills. This meant that the Company was able to look at a range of staging options, including ‘shadow signing’ and ‘doubling up’. Solar Bear also began exploring ways that physical theatre and gestural movement could interplay with British Sign Language (BSL), and thus began to develop a new integrated aesthetic for theatre. Whilst this project was extremely valuable, Solar Bear felt that its findings related particularly to the creation of new work, and wondered what it could mean, and the effect it could have, on the sector’s current understanding of mainstream theatre. From its research, Solar Bear found that Deaf people felt that Shakespeare was tied up with hearing culture, and had no relation to them or their experiences of the world. Partly because of schooling, and partly because of the language and previous ways that it had been staged, Deaf people felt that Shakespeare was not at all accessible for them. Solar Bear felt that A Midsummer Night’s Dream was the ideal piece with which to challenge this notion and investigate the potential for change. The Company chose this text because: it is popular within mainstream theatre it contains so many aspects of visual humour the action exists in two worlds. The project incorporated several strands including: • the translation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream into BSL (this text is currently available from Solar Bear Limited). • a range of workshops exploring Deaf culture and humour (considering approaching the play from a Deaf perspective) • several practical workshops exploring a variety of staging techniques • a programme of outreach workshops exploring the themes and issues of the play and project • monthly workshops with Solar Bear UNITED • a collaborative fortnight between Solar Bear and Solar Bear UNITED, bringing together all strands of the project and culminating in an • open rehearsal/showing and discussion at The Citizens’ Theatre. Feedback from Deaf audience members from the post-show discussion held at the Citizens’ Theatre on Saturday 15th April 2006:
Solar Bear Limited is currently investigating funding opportunities to stage a full-scale production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream using its integrated aesthetic.  Seeing Voices: One House, A Death, Two Sisters, One Stranger. A powerful story of love and lust, jealousy and revenge, forgiveness and redemption devised by Solar Bear and told through dance, British Sign Language, verse, music and sound by Deaf and hearing actors. Seeing Voices, directed and scripted by Deborah Andrews, was performed in July 2004 at Gilmorehill G12. Accompanied by a range of ground breaking outreach opportunities, Seeing Voices wove together different languages and forms of communication, including BSL and Audio Description, to create a sensory experience that could be enjoyed by all. In terms of our outreach activity, we worked with: The National Deaf Children’s Society, Glasgow Women’s Library, The Dance House, Hillpark Secondary School’s Communication Disorder Unit and Deaf Connections. The work that we did with these groups informed the creation of the main-house production and was exhibited front of house at Gilmorehill G12 during the performance week. Seeing Voices received an Orange Community Futures Award (in recognition of making a positive difference to the lives of people with sensory disabilities in our local community) and an Arts and Business Arts and Disability Award. “…a powerful dynamic to the piece…an ambitious production with tremendous moments and forceful performances.” Mark Fisher – Scotsman 16th July “I went to see the show called ‘Seeing Voices’ directed by Solar Bear and I have to say that I’m impressed with the cast and the storyline. A few of us Deaf people went to see it and we related to the storyline as it’s reflected to real life experiences. It is not very often to get to see a show like I’ve mentioned especially for us Deaf people. All cast learned to sign as well as speaking as it was part of the story to make it more accessible to both hearing and Deaf audiences. Others and I would like to see more of shows directed by Solar Bear Company. One more thing, the company practice what they preached as the director is attending the BSL course and she also asked for advices on Deaf issues in order to provided the show as accurately as possible and also to make sure that Deaf audiences can follow signings in the show. More please!!!!” Janice McCusker (Deaf)
Lifelong Development Worker - Deaf Connections
“The devised production lets us increasingly grasp more and more of British Sign Language. So much so we understand much of Katrina Fisher's Katherine when at the end she speaks to us using her hands so we see her voice.” Thelma Good 15 July 2004. Published
on EdinburghGuide.com
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