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Hairspray
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From New York to California, productions of this well-loved musical have been popping up everywhere! Theatre companies, universities and high schools all want to bring to their communities their own rendition of the ever-popular musical Hairspray. But what is sure to be said about South Plantation High School’s production is that it is certainly “unique.” Seven years ago, theatre director Jason Zembuch found himself working at the only public high school in Broward County which offers programs and services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Since then, South Plantation High School has become known for incorporating Theatre for The Deaf into their programming and has produced many shows directed in this style including Peter Pan, Disney’s High School Musical, Disney’s High School Musical 2, and West Side Story, which brought the school national attention when featured on ABC World News tonight in their series “Spirit of America.” Such an approach to theatre education has not only broadened the horizons of the students involved in the program, it has opened the door for so many young deaf and hard-of-hearing students to attempt to do what before seemed impossible: to act! Shawn De Mare, a deaf freshman making his acting debut in Hairspray, is just one of those students. Ask him why he auditioned and he will tell you it is because he knew he could. With role models like Giovanna Vazquez and Suany Hurlston, two deaf actresses that he saw in West Side Story that have since graduated from South, Shawn has discovered that being on stage is more than a possibility, it is a reality. While Hairspray is a light-hearted approach to how one girl changes the world of television forever, forcing the issue of integration, the message is one that can be “heard” by all who attend. What makes this particular production unique is that every word, whether spoken or sung, will be voiced as well as signed in American Sign Language by each of the actors. Rehearsals for the show have been underway since the second week of September in order for the actors to not only be able to sing the songs, dance the dances, and speak the lines, but to be able to sign the signs as well. |
Video
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CAST TRACY TURNBLAD……………………………......ANNELIESE BANKS ENSEMBLE: JOSEPH FRANKLIN, KALEY SHIELDS, EMILY TERWILLIGER, JESUS CONTRERAS, SERENA CONCEPCION, DIANA CADET, MARIAH MADER, TAMARA SAENZ-MARMOL, TIANA CHARLES, LUISA CANO, JILLIAN DIREKTOR, SARA FITHIAN, HORACE COOKE, JULIA RODRIGUEZ, COLLEEN LORENZEN, KELSEY SMITH, RASHAD WOODARD, SAMANTHA SILVERMAN, NINA COLON STAGE MANAGER………….……………….RACHEL GONZALEZ |