Free tickets still available for premiere performances of “Deaf Republic” on Feb. 23 & 24
Cincinnati State students, employees, and family and friends are invited to attend performances of Deaf Republic, a unique visual presentation by local dance company Pones, taking place in the ATLC Auditorium (ATLC 211) on Friday, Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 24, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Deaf Republic is a visual presentation of a collection of poems written by Ilya Kaminsky, a Ukrainian-American poet. The poems describe the military occupation of the fictional village of Vasenka, where villagers use Deafness and a novel sign language to subvert the military authorities.
The presentation combines spoken word, dance, and “shadow interpretation,” an innovative form of delivering American Sign Language. The sign language interpreters are on stage, in costume, and are integrated seamlessly with the cast to deliver dialogue next to the speaking character, so action and speech are connected.
Tickets for Deaf Republic are free but space is limited, so reservations are required. Reservations can be made online at https://ponesdeafrepublic.eventbrite.com.
According to Pones, the presentation is suitable for high school students and adults. It contains adult language and situations, including references to sex and sex work, warfare, military occupation, violence, and death.
The director of Deaf Republic, Gina Kleesattel, completed sign language classes at Cincinnati State, and several faculty and staff members as well as alumni of the College’s Interpreter Training Program are involved with preparing for and staging the production.
For more about Cincinnati State’s collaboration in the production of Deaf Republic, see the Daily News article published Feb. 14.
The presentation of Deaf Republic is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the David C. Herriman Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation, and the Cincinnati State Foundation.
