Handwaves: Epic Jam II

Katie Roberts

Tonight was the second Epic Jam event for Deaf Spotlight – It was a change of venue from the ADWAS conference room to HSDC.  I truly enjoyed the night, but my biggest regret was this room. I hope that in the future there will be better spaces to hold an Epic Jam.   This show is in the tradition of  poetry jams -I remember attending “ASL in the RAW” with Doug Ridloff in New York City, at the Bowery Poetry Club.   Brick walls, couches along the walls, an option to buy beer, wine, or coffee. Art on the walls..  

Deaf Spotlight wishes to continue this tradition here in Seattle.   I would like to see the tradition take hold here in Seattle.  There are many stories that need to be told, and in ASL!  Reader, if you know of a space, tell us! We’d love to hear from you.

We were thrilled to have three featured featured performers – Ryan Schledt, Will Roach, and Lokeni (Loki) Tiatia.  The three storytellers brought their own style to the stage. Ryan is a polished actor and director that brought us his own ASL rendition of “Jabberwocky”, as well as a funny story about Superman.  (A little bird tells me that Ryan will be doing something special this fall. Keep your eyes peeled). Will Roach shared with us one of his ASL stories: A to Z, and back to A! He brought an affable, easygoing spirit to the stage, laughing and joking his way through the monologue. He also shared his version of “Timber” with us – this is an ASL story that is retold through generations, and it varies from teller to teller, and I really appreciated seeing that cultural sharing in action.   Loki dug in a little deeper and shared his experiences as a hard of hearing person who is culturally Deaf.  “That’s the hard-of-hearing life”, he would often say.

The second part of the evening is the challenge – the OPEN MIC!  It takes ego and courage to stand up and just do something.  Yours truly was right up on that stage.   I really wanted to share one of my favorite ASL poems – “Dandelions” by Clayton Valli, and I memorized it for the performance.   I’m feeling pretty good about the results!   Several brave volunteers came up on stage and shared some stories.  A newcomer to Seattle, Jasper Norman, still wet behind the ears, hopped on the stage – twice, to share some funny anecdotes. The audience rewarded him with a prize – the first place award for his plucky courage. 

I have attended both poetry nights because I truly enjoy watching ASL used that way, and I can see so much talent out there.  Stories are part of our lives, and we should get together to tell them to each other sometimes!  One of the most interesting parts of the evening was how many people approached me afterwards to tell me they loved dandelions, too. 

Do keep an eye out!  Ryan Schedlt will be providing some entertainment for all of us this Fall. The material he provided was a tantalizing peek at what he has in store for those who are lucky enough to attend his one man show in the fall.