The Music Man heads into its final week

James Caverly, ’11, plays Professor Harold Hill in the Olney Theatre Center’s summer production of Meredith Willson’s Tony-winning musical The Music Man, which runs through next Saturday, July 23.

Sandra Mae Frank, ’13, and Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma artistic director Michael Baron co-direct a company featuring Deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing artists. All performances are in American Sign Language and spoken English, and are super-titled.

Caverly was an aspiring actor – and a staff carpenter in Olney Theatre’s scene shop – when he saw Deaf West’s 2015 production of Spring Awakening on Broadway. He subsequently approached Olney’s artistic director, Jason Loewith, about the prospect of a Deaf-centered musical. In March 2019, a week-long workshop brought together a mix of 25 Deaf and hearing artists for a production of The Music Man.

Participants in that workshop returning to work on The Music Man include music director Christopher Youstra, choreographer Karma Camp, and Director of Artistic Sign Language Michelle Banks. Banks has also translated the English script for The Music Man into ASL and gestural language and provides artistic contributions informed by their experience of Deaf Culture. 

Banks is one of three Deaf artists on the creative team, leading a company that is 50% Deaf or hard of hearing and 50% hearing actors. The other two are Sandra Mae Frank and Ethan Sinnott, professor and director of Gallaudet’s Theatre and Dance program, who designed the set for The Music Man. More than one dozen sign language interpreters were employed for the rehearsal period.