Staff profile: Lisa McBee, talent embodied

You may know Lisa McBee as the Program Support Specialist in the School of Arts and Humanities, but to the devoted fans of the PBS show “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” she is the ASL performer who accompanies the show’s stories and songs. While Daniel gets his first haircut, meets a new friend with autism, attends a wedding, and has other adventures, McBee transforms his experiences into ASL from the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. 

PBS hired her for the gig because of McBee’s attention-grabbing work on social media platforms, where she shares her original performances and ASL storytelling. She describes the high-energy process of real-time translation for the show as fulfilling, saying “I read the English closed captioning directly from a teleprompter and translate it into ASL on the spot. It requires sharp focus, quick thinking, and the ability to maintain accurate pacing and emotional tone in ASL.” 

McBee says the experience is a full-circle moment because ASL visibility in children’s programming is something she craved when she was that age. As a visual thinker, McBee enjoyed shows like “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” for its calming tone, visual cues, and creative film techniques when she was a child. She was also captivated by fantasy films like “The Dark Crystal” (1982), which used puppetry and rich visual world-building to tell stories without relying heavily on dialogue. “Being part of this project meant so much because it provided accessibility in a way that felt natural and engaging for Deaf children,” she says. 

And McBee fits the bill perfectly–she even has a tiger-tastic hairstyle: two coiled pigtails that complement the characters in the show. “I needed a style that worked well for performances — something that wouldn’t get in my face while signing, but still had character. Over time, it became a reflection of my artistic identity — a blend of boldness, creativity, and a little bit of nostalgia.”

McBee’s VV journey began by watching ASL storytelling legends, including her idol Roger Vass. A “legendary king of classifiers” whose influence continues to inspire ASL performers, McBee explains that his “expressive control, precision in classifiers, and ability to make language visually immersive solidify him as a true pioneer.” For instance, in Vital Signs, a short piece featured in the PBS “History Through Deaf Eyes,” Vass’ placement is part of the narrative, rather than pasted on top or blocking film visuals, and he coordinates his eye gaze and hand movements with the changing camera’s perspective. She says his ASL narrative is “seamlessly woven into the background visuals, blending classifiers and cinematic elements in a way that was ahead of its time — before the world even fully recognized what we now call Visual Vernacular (VV).”

McBee then started experimenting with her own forms of expression by filming herself, watching and analyzing her video, and then re-recording herself two or three times. “It helps me fine-tune the expression, flow, and clarity,” she says.

Growing up watching classic silent films, ASL performances, and Looney Tunes cartoon characters like Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner strongly influenced how McBee sees her world and how she creates new ones. She attended the Missouri School for the Deaf, a rich environment for her to hone her talent and love for performance, saying “I was constantly surrounded by movement, creative expression, and visual storytelling. I was born with the instinct to tell stories — before I even knew what storytelling really was!”

Another huge influence was McBee’s father, Gary McBee, who was a clown, magician, and all-around performer who appeared as a background actor in several films in the 80s, such as They Call Me Bruce? and Off the Wall. In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, he played one of the white-suited men capturing E.T. He was also in Roger Vass’ film, Lake Windfall, a Deaf film. McBee’s father taught her that storytelling goes beyond words: “It’s about captivating an audience through movement, rhythm, and emotion. That foundation led me to explore VV and signing in a way that feels almost cinematic,” she says.

In her role on campus, McBee supports faculty and students and the work they do. She finds they also support her: “The community here is full of artists, scholars, and visionaries who challenge and inspire me daily. Also, let’s be real — where else can you casually bump into someone doing an impromptu VV storytelling performance in the hallway?”

Last year, McBee also collaborated with Gallaudet’s Motion Light Lab (ML2), which she describes as “a game-changer in ASL storytelling, accessibility, and technology.” Working together, they merged digital animation (a golden line drawing of a dragon moving in a spiral and ultimately engulfing the screen with fire) with ASL storytelling, “ in a way that made the narrative even more immersive and visually dynamic,” she describes. This project was part of ML2’s support of VV Underground’s 2024 festival, in which they debuted this first-ever VV performance entirely in 3D animation. VV Underground is a non-profit focused on Deaf language and culture and McBee is one of its founding members, and says “I’m incredibly grateful to have been part of a collaboration that pushes the boundaries of how ASL and VV can be experienced in new and visually powerful ways.” 

When asked about future projects, she says her creative juices are always bubbling around performing, film, and community events. “Over time, my expression has become more intentional. At first, I was just doing what felt right; now, I’m more focused on how my work connects with the audience and the impact it leaves behind,” she says. “I love storytelling in all its forms — VV, ASL poetry, acting, performance art, digital media — you name it. But what excites me most is blending these art forms. I enjoy pushing boundaries, whether it’s performing with live video projections, experimenting with motion capture, or bringing ASL into unexpected spaces like rock concerts and film.” Lately, she’s been exploring how to integrate visual effects and background videos into VV and ASL stage performances. And here’s a teaser: McBee has started to work on an online film series, saying, “Big things are coming—stay tuned for the official announcement soon!”

It’s hard to imagine McBee with much free time when she’s not working and planning future creative projects, but in addition to all this, she bikes around the city, “dives deep” into video games, and plays both pickleball and basketball. “I also have a knack for fixing cars — there’s something fascinating about understanding how things work and bringing them back to life. On a more abstract level, I love exploring the laws of physics and vibrations and finding connections between energy, movement, and the world around us.” If you bump into her on campus, she encourages you to stop her for “a good VV story or a quick round of pickleball!”

McBee encourages others to embrace her larger-than-life approach to life and her love of ASL. “Creativity has no limits — especially in Visual Vernacular. Our language is cinematic, poetic, and limitless, and I want to continue pushing its potential. Whether through performance, education, or media, I hope my work inspires others to embrace their unique artistic voice.”

You can follow Lisa on Instagram, and YouTube. Watch ASL-interpreted versions of “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” on the PBS Kids app and website,  Learning Media, YouTube channel, broadcast on air, and via Amazon Prime Video.