A YOUNG CODA ACTOR SHARES HER PERSPECTIVE

by Ingrid Jensen O’Dell

Ingrid Jensen O’Dell is an 8th grade student at Harborlight-Stoneridge Montessori School.  In The Taste of Sunrise Ingrid plays a student at the school Tuc attends. She is the daughter of WFT Inclusion Coordinator Kristin Johnson

Being in a unique show like The Taste of Sunrise is certainly an honor. As a Child of Deaf Adults, a CODA, I can relate to this play and some of its characters. One hearing character in the play, Maizie, is a CODA. In one scene she says that she can hear and speak, but she is Deaf inside. Being Deaf inside to me is having Deaf memories, having Deaf characteristics, or placing myself into the category of Deaf people. That is something that I can relate to very much.

My time is not spent entirely with Deaf people, or with hearing; half of my time I am with hearing people, and the other half I am with Deaf people. I am comfortable with that, because I can fit into hearing and Deaf culture as a whole. Maizie does not like being part of two worlds. She would rather be in one world, the hearing world. To me, it is not a scenario of two worlds; it is simply one world, with Deaf and hearing together. I feel that I am not part Deaf and part hearing, but a swirl of both. I cannot say that I would rather be Deaf or be hearing, because I am already both, and I will forever be both. In the past, when I have told someone that my parents are Deaf, that person would usually act surprised, but in a nice way. There have been a few people that have felt sorry for me, and would apologize for my having Deaf parents. When I heard what those few people said, I felt, in a way, insulted. Deaf parents are not inadequate, not in the slightest. If you discredit Deaf culture, you are doing so to me, and other CODAs.

Deaf and hearing people are basically the same, but there are some differences. Deaf people notice more things visually, because they cannot hear what is going on around them. Their loss of hearing enhances their other senses, like sight. Hearing people can see and hear, so these senses are about equal. I have characteristics of a Deaf person, for instance, the one I just described. When I am watching a movie in a theatre, I often feel lost and confused, because there are no captions. To get people’s attention, I tend to tap them on the shoulder or try to get their attention without speaking. I read quickly because I am used to reading the captions on television or movies, which shift very quickly.

There are a lot of bonuses with having Deaf parents. I can play loud music; they won’t complain. I can sing as loudly and as obnoxiously as I want; they won’t complain. I can pretend to be Deaf. I can convince people that I am. I can talk on the phone endlessly; they won’t get annoyed. I can listen to music on the radio in the car, and they won’t be bothered. Occasionally, my mother will put on her hearing aid and listen to the music as well. When I’m not sure if my mother has her hearing aid on, I shout or talk loudly to see if she will react. It often surprises me when she does react, because I’m not used to it.

There are some things that aren’t great, like when the batteries in the smoke alarm are low and I have to hunt all over the house to stop the beeping. When I’m in the car and the turn signal is on and beeping when it shouldn’t be, I tell my parent that it is on. When my dog is barking, or the microwave is making weird sounds, I tell my parents. I am not told to tell them when these things happen, but I tell them because it bothers me, or I feel that I need to inform them.

All in all, Deaf people and hearing people are the same, but different. I am a CODA, and I am proud to be one. There is nothing wrong with being Deaf, having Deaf parents, or even just knowing Deaf people. If I ever have children, I will keep them, unlike Maizie, and I will teach them sign language. I will never be able to ignore my Deaf self, not that I will ever want to. I am Deaf and hearing, and very proud to be both.

A note from an actress at Wheelock Family Theatre

Hello Pippi family!

 

How I have missed you! I have been meaning to write a note of thank you to everyone- Wendy, the cast, the crew, and the parents. 

 

I cannot tell you how special the experience was for me on so many different levels.  Because of my deafness, I always had to fight through life for everything- to get an education, to get a job, to get resources.  Even the simple things I had to fight for- to go to the movies with subtitles, to be allowed in a dance class, and so on.  Because I had to fight so much as just a deaf person, I went through most of my life keeping the part about my being blind a secret.  People were struggling enough to comprehend how to include a deaf person, never mind a blind person.  Yes, being blind was a secret I kept from friends, teachers, coworkers.  I did not admit it until I was 25.

Despite all the pushing for inclusion, I truly loved dancing.  It brought me joy and an escape from my disabilities.  Though there were times my partners tried to talk to me and did not understand why I could not understand them.  There were times teachers stomped away in frustration when I could not lipread everything they were saying. There were times I misinterpreted the music; a slow cha-cha can feel like a salsa.   But I persisted with dancing not from stubbornness (although that may be a part of it) but when you have a dancer’s heart, it is hard to ignore the siren’s call.

 

Imagine my surprise when someone approached me about a role for a deaf dancer in the part of Pippi’s Angel Mama.  A million thoughts and doubts raced through my mind.  But I am not deaf, I am deaf/blind.  Will they still want me if they know I cannot see well?  Should I hide my visual limits like I always have?  I am not an actress, I have never been trained on how to do a monologue or audition.  Then logistical issues ran through my head- how would I get from point A to point B?  Would people sigh in exasperation every time I “needed” something?

The moment I stood on the stage with Wendy to demonstrate some of the dance styles, something clicked that told me I was in the right place.  I imagined all the seats full and how the audience would (likely for the first time) see a deaf/blind individual.  And not only a deaf/blind individual dancing but also being part of a cast. I was nervous but thought, “ I bet I could make a difference here”.

 

Once I became part of the cast, I was nervous about meeting the rest of the performers.  Would I be the person relegated to the corner?  Would people talk over me and ignore me?  With each rehearsal, I met someone new.  Some of the kids ran up to me to show me how to spell their names, the other kids thought that was so cool so before the show’s run- every kid had come up to me to learn how to spell their names and asked me often how do you sign (insert a word)?  While I waited backstage for my cue, and the townkids ran off stage after the Pippi dance, they all ran by me to say hello (in sign!).  My past experience with children usually had them asking their parents what was wrong with me?  I marveled at how the kids did not let my disabilities intimidate them but thought it was “pretty cool”.

Aside from the children, I loved working with the adults and the crew too.  In the beginning, there were not many in the crew who knew sign language but by the end of the run, at least everyone had signed something to me. Many of the adults have asked where they could go learn sign language and had committed to taking a class. 

 

I also loved my “family,” Pippi and Papa Longstocking.  Families have each other’s back and Pippi and Papa sure had mine!  Both were protective and supportive of me.  I cannot say how many times I had the giggles with Sirena while we rehearsed.  Cliff not only helped me on the stage but continued to protect me off the stage. 

I never once had to worry about how would I get around, would I have an interpreter, or would I be accepted? 

 

For one of the first times in my life, I was able to simply be who I am and not worry about my challenges. I was accepted, I was included.

 

For that, I am grateful to you all and wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone.  (deaf hands waving).

 

With all my heart,

Kerry

“Angel Mama”