Catalina UnLtd’s Listen with Your Eyes is to become the first South African Deaf
Play to perform in Europe. A comedy play created and performed by Bo Tasker,
Darren Rajbal and Ismael Mansoor Listen
with Your Eyes is directed by Alison Swannack. It took Catalina’s Talking Hands, the first ever Deaf
theatre Festival delivered in South Africa, by storm last year
Listen
with your Eyes has been selected for Festival Clin
d’Oeil (European Deaf Theatre Festival) in Reims, France. The cast will be
exposed to the world as this Deaf Cultural Festival celebrates its 10th year in
2013.
Listen
with your Eyes is the Deaf only comedy based in a
science lab. The hearing scientist and his Deaf assistant find communication a
big challenge and they set about designing a robot to interpret for them. While
designing the robot, the hearing scientist learns a lot about Deaf people’s
communication needs but not without loads of humour!
Festival Clin d’Oeil was created in 2003
(European Year of Disabled Person) and this year will run from July 5 to 7.
This unique multidisciplinary arts festival is aimed at highlighting the
richness of the Deaf community. It has become a reference and an essential
event to the global Deaf community as it opens a space for artistic expression
and communication which is accessible to both Deaf and Hearing people. In
addition to the performance of Listen
with your Eyes, the festival has also requested the performance of Rainbow Magic for the street theatre
aspect of the Festival, as well as two workshops for children.
This is the first time ever for the Deaf
led and exclusive South African cast and director to perform on the
international stage, which makes history for Catalina UnLtd and South Africa!
The Artistic Director of Catalina UnLtd, Themi
Venturas, says, “We have embraced the Deaf community and deaf artists at
Catalina, and it is gratifying to see this international recognition for their
efforts. The play is sure to be well received in France, and we are currently
looking for funding and sponsors for our talented cast and director.”
The festival is paying 50% of the airfares
for four people, Ismael Mansoor, Darren Rajbal, Bo Tasker and Alison Swannack
and providing a small fee for the performances. “All we need to showcase South
African Deaf theatre talent in Europe is in the range of R60,000. A reasonable
amount for these amazing South Africans to showcase their work on behalf of the
city, the Province and the country,” notes Venturas. Any assistance would be
greatly appreciated.
For further information or to make a
contribution please email Alison, the Director at listenwye@gmail.com or contact Francis
Doherty-Bigara of Catalina UnLtd on 031 201 4738/ 072 795 5965 or visit http://listenwye.wix.com/about
or www.catalinatheatre.co.za
For more information on Festival d’Oeil
visit website www.clin-doeil.eu/2013
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