Frequently Asked Questions
PLEASE NOTE: ATOD IS NOT CURRENTLY TOURING OR PRESENTING PRODUCTIONS
What makes ATOD performances appeal to deaf and hearing impaired people? What techniques do you use?
Our performances appeal to deaf people because the majority of our actors are deaf, often our directors are deaf and we use either Auslan or a form of visual gesture/communication/mime in our productions. This means they can relate and understand the content. Often our shows are not about deafness and I think deaf people relate to this very well as, although they are deaf they also enjoy and experience all other aspects of life just the same as hearing people eg relationship, family and employment issues.
Is it also beneficial to a hearing audience?
Absolutely. All our shows can be understood and enjoyed by a hearing audience. In particular our school shows are targeted towards hearing students. It helps them understand the importance of visual communication, gesture and body language. At the same time we are exposing them to deafness, most children very rarely meet a deaf person and can have preconceived ideas, eg that the deaf are not as capable as the hearing. When our shows are in Auslan there is a simultaneous interpretation into English.
Do you have a stated policy in regard to the deaf community?
Yes. We are committed to the principle of accessibility and we consult people from the deaf community. Hearing staff learn Auslan to facilitate communication with deaf employees. We have a deaf telephone or TTY, which the deaf and hearing can use. Our board consists of deaf and hearing people.
Do you believe that your company effectively caters for deaf and hearing-impaired people better than mainstream Australian theatre companies? What can you offer for these people that they can’t?
Yes. We can offer the deaf community performances that they can understand. In Sydney there are very few live shows interpreted into Auslan.
Who was the main founder/establisher of ATOD?
As mentioned in Company History, ATOD was started by a group of Deaf people interested in entertaining the deaf community and offering the deaf an opportunity to express themselves creatively. In 1979, with backing from the Australia Council and the Elizabethan Theatre Trust, NSW Theatre of the Deaf was launched as a professional theatre company. It later became Theatre of the Deaf and then Australian Theatre of the Deaf.
What issues are dealt with in performances and productions?
We deal with a range of issues. Currently our school shows cover both political and social issues. Communication, history, relationships, cultural difference, refugees and detention centres are current themes.
Would you refer to ATOD as being a company performing for and by deaf people, or as a theatre company for everyone?
ATOD is a company for everyone, performed and created by the deaf. As our name suggests we are Australian Theatre of the Deaf.
How do you believe ATOD has helped shape the face of Australian theatre?
Although ATOD is a small company we have been operating for 25 years and during that time have produced many shows, which have been seen by thousands of people. We have worked with other companies and influenced and developed new methods and techniques. Our most profound impact is on young people in schools.
Do you think the work you produce challenges stereotypes? If so, how does it do this?
We definitely challenge stereotypes. When we visit schools and groups that may not have a high level of exposure to the deaf community we are being role models by producing theatre that is imaginative, instructive and entertaining. For students the skill, creativity and leadership they see in the deaf actors makes them reappraise their perceptions of deaf people.
Have the attitudes of critics and audiences towards the company’s work changed over time?
We have always struggled to afford a regular mainstage program yet this is the only time we can receive reviews or newspaper criticism. When we do produce a mainstage and we can encourage reviewers to come along they generally give us strong reviews.
How do you create your theatre?
Normally we start with a story or basic scenerio and experiment in a workshop environment. We then discuss, discard and add until we develop a final scenario. A typcial rehearsal of a schools show is 3 weeks. A main stage is around 4-6 weeks.
How do you develop new plays? Is there particular subject material you like to focus on?
School works focus on subjects that relate to the age group and current school curriculum. Mainstage works come from a variety of sources, like an external writer or poet or a theme that is relevant to the deaf community or that the actors/director are particularly interested in. Sometimes we commission a writer to create a new play and pay them a fee.
