Wednesday, December 12

ASL Book Group: Seattle Public LIbrary

Suz Ledet
 
“Seattle Public Library’s LEAP (Library Equal Access Program) is now offering ASL Book Group for any proficient ASL users who are interested in participating book discussions! When I say “ASL users”, I meant that anyone- including hearing and deaf- who uses ASL proficiently is encouraged to join the book group.

The next ASL Book Group is going to be in January 2013 – for those who want to sign up, they can contact Suz Ledet at suzette.ledet@spl.org.

The book group meets every 3rd Saturday of every OTHER month starting January 19th, and we have secured dates for the entire year of 2013! The group meets at10:30 am on Level 4, Room 6 at Central (1000 4th Ave, Seattle).

 We still have available seats for more participants! The only requirement is that you can communicate in ASL fluently and it is does not matter if you are hearing or deaf to participate.

The confirmed dates and book titles are as follows:

 

 
 
 

The first book, “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand” by Helen Simonson is now available for pick up at the World Language desk on Level 1 at Central. Please note that the desk is straight-ahead towards the middle area of Level 1-NOT the front desk near the front entrance. You will receive a loaner copy of said book after you sign off the ASL Book Group name list.

To sign up, please feel free to pick up a book as instructed above or email me atsuzette.ledet@spl.org so I can make sure a copy is available for you.

Thank you and we hope to see you at our next book group meeting on January 19th at 10:30 am!

Cheers,

~Suzette

Monday, December 10

Restaurant Revew: The Coterie Room

Joshua Jones



Many restaurants in the Seattle area are had their Seattle Restaurant Week from October 14-18 to 12-25. Many restaurant owners participated to lure diners to their restaurants. The Coterie Room is one of these restaurants participated that restaurant week. This restaurant now occupies the former restaurant, Zoe's in the Belltown neighborhood. The atmosphere of The Coterie Room is lovely, with a neat herb garden on the wall which was the first thing I noticed when I walked in the restaurant. Another thing I noticed that restaurant is somewhat very dark due to fewer lamps but the interior was very charming.
The Coterie Room offer two separate menus, one for Seattle Restaurant Week and one for regular menu. I decided to use the Seattle Restaurant Week menu because it has three courses which would give me an opportunity to try their dishes out. After reading the menu, I decided to compare it to the other menu to see if they offer same dishes. It turned out both menus are not the same. In my experience, most restaurants who participated in the Seattle Restaurant Week tend to include their signature dishes on Seattle Restaurant Week menu to let new diners know what their typical fare is like. I was somehow disappointed that The Coterie Room didn't do that. I decided to go ahead order some dishes with an open mind and see.


The first course I ordered: Duck Rillette pickled figs, toast & finnes herbs. It was a beautiful dish but I was surprised that Duck Rillette was really cold. It tasted good. I also enjoyed eating the herbs with Duck Rillette.

Moving on to second course, I had Cavabelli with lobster mushroom brown butter, tarragon, black kale, and parmesan. It was a nice looking dish. It is tasted somewhat all right but didn't wow me at all. I was expecting it would be the outstanding dish on the menu. I was disappointed about that.

For the final course, I had Caramel Pear Tart with pine nuts & buttermilk ice cream. It was a really good dessert. I love that they made their ice cream from scratch and it tastes great! It also tasted great with a pear tart. It was a well made tart without being overcooked. I was able to taste pears. I am pleased with that. It was a better dish than last two dishes.
I would rate this restaurant three stars for several reasons. First of all, I feel that restaurant had "dumbed-down" its dishes for Seattle Restaurant Week since their menu is nowhere simliar to their regular menu. They should re-consider their Seattle Restaurant Week menu and make sure these dishes are what The Coterie Room is known for. We, diners want to know what The Coterie Room is known for. They missed that opportunity.


I have to give The Coterie Room some credit for having an excellent servers. The waitress I had was wonderful and very thoughtful. I appreciated their service. Will I come back again? Probably so, because I believe that every restaurant deserve a second chance and I will try order some dishes on their regular menu to figure out what The Coterie Room is known for.




Sunday, December 2

The Straight Scoop: Howie Seago's Interview


What's Up Blog Subscriber

A quarter-century later, we remember him as Riva in Star Trek (1989). But there’s little doubt that actor Howie Seago never ceases to reinvent our perspectives of whom deaf characters can become … and therefore, whom we can become. How many other sci-fi roles are flanked by intergalactical sign language interpreters, and how many Shakespearean characters have been empowered with their own Royal Interpreter on-stage?
Katie Roberts (Blog Editor) and Crystal Plum Green
Such progressive scripts do not come solely from the generous whims of a director or producer, as we discovered in Deaf Spotlight’s “Interview with Howie Seago” on November 17. While interviewed by Crystal Plum Green, the accomplished actor, writer, and director revealed the decisions, artistic ideas, and cultural ideals shaping his career – and roles.
We like to think artistic directors and producers call the shots. But when Seago bravely refused to accept the original audist script (Riva wearing a stylized helmet programmed by Data to teach speech development overnight), it led to an on-the-fly re-scripting … and the re-education of the Star Trek cast about Deaf Culture. 


Howie Seago as Riva on the Right. Riva's Interpreters are in white. Also pictured, Worf and Riker.
 
Also because of Seago’s proactive conversations with an artistic director, the never-before role of an on-stage Royal Interpreter was created.

Seago’s most champ advice to his audience (which filled nearly every seat in Johnson Hall at the University of Washington)?

 "It’s important to remember where you come from. Don’t lose your values, like your family.”
Dave Morriosn and Tamara Moxham
Voice-interpreted by Dave Morrison and Tamara Moxham, the lively banter took place in a Good Morning America-style coffee table-and-couches. Some of the most memorable highlights:

He’s so happily married, he once turned down Gene Roddenberry’s attempt to play matchmaker (on behalf of Rodenberry’s fawning secretary). Twenty-five years later: “I have no second thoughts”.

A Sex and the City cast member once asked if she could try on his hearing aids (hint: She’s a fiery redhead).
Germany doesn’t have actor unions, meaning long 15-hour days on the set of Beyond Silence (Seago played the father of a CODA musician).

Howie Seago in Beyond Silence

A sly Star Trek joke: “’Hearing’: That’s an Earth issue, is what Riva would have said”.
Howie’s signature: A ubiquitous beard, a devotion to family (which includes two sons, two deaf siblings, and two “selectively deaf – deaf when they want to be” siblings), as a performing arts icon within the Deaf Community who keeps it real.  Unenthralled by Hollywood’s glitz and opportunist nature, he’s sought out deeper meaning in his roles and his community.

“(The play Ajax) was the best decision I ever made – it led to Star Trek and everything else,” he told the audience. “No wait, actually the best decision I ever made was marrying my wife – Ajax is the second best one,” he amended, smiling towards the back row where his wife, Lori, sat.
Howie Seago
Indeed, while residing for the last 4 years as a principal actor for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, he has welcomed many friends at Ashland. This year, he performed as Duke of Exeter in Henry V, and Duke Senior in As You Like It. Re-enacting a scene from the former, he took us briefly to the Battle of Agincourt. In regal posturing, asking us to imagine a thick overcoat (the sartorial signature of Duke of Exeter). “OSF has many talented people in each play – like assistant voicing coaches, dramaturgs and interpreters to help with translating Old English to ASL, and stage managers who take care of the actors,” he said.

We learned of Seago’s uproarious “bloopers” in his OSF stage reel. Like stepping into a pile of poop during his first year.  Another was the moment he stood up on-stage, his rear end literally stuck in a too-small chair, the windy day that resulted in a mild hat malfunction.
Howie Seago in Henry V
Asked about upcoming projects and aspirations, he responded: “I would like to do more writing. It’s tough, it takes discipline. I would like to see more deaf playwrights.” Speak of writing, what are his muse(s)? He grew up in a household surrounded by “books, books, books everywhere,” and often read in bed, with a flashlight.  In the years before he truly began to learn sign language at RIT, books carried the visual poetry that lit his creative energies.
Howie Seago

“We have to fight to improve for the future,” he said, referencing the decades-long struggle for deaf actors to rightfully claim the roles of deaf characters in plays (such as “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter”).
Sharing candid words of encouragement from his wife, he ended the interview with a reflection on the biggest role he continues to play: “Build a fire, and others will come.”


 We sure did, on this cold and rainy November evening with Howie Seago.

Saturday, December 1

December 2012 Letter from the Editor

It's time for us to wind down for the holiday season, to cuddle with our families at home as the rain pours/snow comes down.   We had some terrific going-ons last month, with Howie Seago's Interview by Crystal Green at the University of Washington.  I hunted around the internet and managed to find one short excerpt from Star Trek: The Next Generation where Howie performed his role as Riva.



In addition to our article written by a What's Up Blog contributor, I had hoped to share with you the people's commentary afterwards, but there was a camera malfunction :( Sheesh.  Keep your eyes peeled -it will be posted very soon!

I will also be sharing information about an ongoing series at the Seattle Public Library coordinated by Suz Ledet, and will have pictures and commentary from Michael Anthony about his glass blowing class. I went- and it was very impressive! I attended the Bent Showcase, and I would like to show you some terrific stuff!

We also have another mouth-watering Restaurant Review from Joshua Jones. We will be posting those entries in the first few weeks, then we will rest up for the holiday season! :)

I hope to be adding more things of interest this month :)


If you'd like to submit something, get in touch! :)

whatsupblogds@gmail.com

Katie Roberts

Tuesday, November 27

Mourning


Michael Cooper
 
Imagine that you are a twelve year old young man living in a country where you experience oppression daily. In this case, this country is Iran. Then take on the experience of two Deaf adults also living in Iran where they feel oppression in very different ways.. Their self-journey path of three very different individuals is being shown throughout the movie. The entire length of the movie is during their trip on the way from a rural location to Tehran Their experiences of oppression is the essence of what the movie; “The Mourning” is all about.
 

 In this movie, there are three central characters. The young man is a CODA who is being “abandoned” by his hearing parents. As young as he is, he is well-aware that he is being abandoned and being forced to be taken care of by his Deaf Aunt and his husband. He conveyed his emotions by pretending to ignore his Aunt and Uncle by placing earplugs on his ears yet his Aunt and Uncle both are unaware that the young man is observing them intensely as they converse about their emotional struggle on how they decide what to do the best for the young man’s future. The young man, observing the pained and heated arguments between the adults, conveyed his emotions by telling the adults that he really needed to go relieve his natural duty often. As he gets out of the car to relieve himself, he would cry his heart out.

The adults, equally as lost in their own struggles, had to navigate through the hearing world as they journeyed from the rural location to Tehran. Throughout the journey, the car repeatedly broke down, so they had to deal with hearing people in order for the car to be fixed. They constantly had to alternate between their ongoing struggles between how to deal with the young man and how to deal with the broken car as well as how to deal with the larger hearing and dominant world. The breaking down of the car symbolized the break-down of the communication between the two loci: the communication between the Aunt and Uncle and the communication between the adults and the young man. At the ending of the movie, the communication barriers had caused a dramatic change in the relationship between each character.
 
 
 Audism and the response by the oppressed characters are both examined intensely throughout the movie through the lens of three very different characters within the Iranian Deaf and Hearing perspective. This movie is a very thoughtful-provoking one because this movie helped me realize that Audism really is universal. Equally true is the maladaptive ways that people react to behavior can also be universal. Within this context, it is also fascinating to see aspects of Iranian Deaf Culture being shown. I would recommend you to see this movie if possible.

Sunday, November 25

Spotlight Studio: Photography




The Instructor's Perspective
Loren Ashton
 
“Rule of thirds. Look for patterns. Less sky, more ground. Look for contrasting colors. Keep it simple—less is more. Photograph one object…” Those were the tips and other concepts that I described in my photography course to a total of five motivated and curious students. The photography course was mainly focused on using digital cameras and/or camera phones—to learn how to capture best images with the new applied rules in mind. The class took place on a cloudy rainy day. While on way to the photo class, I thought to myself: Perfect day for capturing images outside. Why? Dark rainy clouds add much more depth to the photos, rather than a sunny cloudless day. That's a photography tip for you!

The secret to capturing eye-candy pictures is all about learning the rules then learning how to break them. I brought my iPad with sample photos to show them concepts of what to look for in the camera view finder. Then I sent the students outside for approximately 45 minutes to snap away, and then return to class to show their work to one another. I asked them to e-mail me their photo work so I could pull up their photos on my iPad and everyone could see their work. This provided as an opportunity for each person to get their feedback while understanding the art of photography better.


With the students’ permissions, I would like to show off their vibrant colorful images, which they learned in class!  I can't wait to teach another class soon!

 

A Student's Perspective
Jena Floyd


I met with Loren Ashton of Shot by Loren Photography, the instructor for Deaf Spotlight, and the rest of my class at the 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea -- on a typical Seattle rainy afternoon. Some of us had tea and coffee which kept us all warm and toasty throughout the class. We briefly got acquainted with each other before our class started.


The instructor initiated the class by asking everyone if they brought their camera. Most of us brought our iPhone and small cameras except one who brought in her professional camera, a SLR (a single-lens reflex camera)  - whoo, I had brought just my iPhone!. Our instructor asked what we'd like to learn. Some of us expressed curiosity about how to take great Instagram pictures. Some asked about usage of color (whether to use vibrant or normal colors).

Loren demonstrated and explained the rules of photography by using her iPad as a visual aid. She showed several photos and some of her works which applied aforementioned rules. While teaching in a show-and-tell manner, Loren introduced several technical terms and well-relied techniques such as symmetry, balancing elements, and depth. It's fascinating how photographers of any experience levels apply simple rules, making their work so amazing and substantial. Such as applying the rule of thirds (3/4) -  pictures often come out great while many of us would think a subject in the middle would cut it.  It’s amazing how a small difference or adjustment could make, right? Loren's passionate & energetic talk made photography seem, to me, easy and simple!

Loren then asked us to take pictures while applying the recently learned tips. We wanted to snap pictures around inside the cozy, warm coffeehouse, but we weren't allowed to according to Starbucks' photo policy -- so we headed outside instead. We braved some light rain, chilly air, and clouds, which dimmed our urban surroundings and -- ahem, my mood. Despite the cloudy, wet weather, I got so excited taking pictures of colorful outdoor board stands that I didn't exactly follow the rules Loren explained earlier.



After our outdoor activity, we returned with our cameras and e-mailed our works to the instructor. The coolest part of the class is that the instructor showed our works from her iPad while giving feedback. Some pictures we *just* took came out beautifully -- despite the weather! You can see how we benefited from Loren's teaching as evidenced by photos you're looking at right now.

With newly acquired skills from this class, I know my Instagram pictures will look all jazzed up!

Friday, November 16

deafREVIEW: Monthly Showcase


Madonna @ Key Arena

While I know that it’s not every day you come across a Deaf individual who enjoys music as much as I do, I will be the first to admit, most of my love for music came from the early stages of my deafness when I was under 12 years of age and could hear clearly. Since then, I have been obsessed with the music artist we call Madonna, Madge, or Esther. Watching her constant transformation has left me awe inspired over the years both as an artist and a business woman. 

Photo by Echo Greenlee
 Anyone who attends a Madonna concert knows that the tickets sell out quickly. Being I was travelling in another country when the tickets went on sale made it extra challenging, but somehow the universe provided and I was able to snag my tickets before the show sold out. My second challenge would be to have accommodations met so that I could partake in the music event just like my hearing peers. To my liking, I had learned that there were actually a few other Deaf individuals who requested Interpreters! Deaf Madonna fans, right in my backyard? Requesting ASL Interpreters was actually the easy part for once! (Thank you Key Arena!)

The show was spectacular in every way, over the top, and not without controversy! I can’t stress enough how awe inspiring this woman is. If you should ever find yourself with an opportunity to see Madonna perform, you should grab it in a heart-beat! My words couldn’t do it justice. Here is a short clip produced by fellow Madonna fan and Seattle resident, Ray Dominguez.


 
 

I have to send huge thanks to Key Arena who was accommodating in every way. Not only did they accept all of my relay calls, but being that our deaf group made our request plenty of time in advance, they even allowed us to have a say in which preferred interpreters we wished to work the event. They juggled all of our different seating arrangements; found the best spot in the house where we would have visibility of the stage and interpreters and even set-up lights to shine on the interpreter so we could see them at times when the arena went dark.
 
 
Photo by Echo Greenlee


Thank you Key Arena for bringing Madonna to Seattle and filling our accommodation requests without hassle – Kudos to business that “get it”! 

Tuesday, November 13

ASL ART Walk - October

Patty Liang

Fall is here at last. Fiery leaves adorned the trees and people were bundled in layers for cooler temperatures to meet at the Occidental Park for Deaf Spotlight's last art walk. I had the pleasure of leading the group of twenty people to view various art mediums on display.

We stopped by two of my favorite galleries: DavidsonGalleries and Foster/White Gallery in Pioneer Square.



Bratsa Bonifacho created amazing oil paintings with bombarding repetition of chaos in letters and colors. If you look carefully, you will see some systematic order and layers of paint into the work. His series was modeled after virus programs and their mission to destroy information so you would see and sense how overwhelming the information overload is. Rich colors overlaid by other colors to give depth, which allow you to sense something hidden beneath these layers. I would love to have one of his pieces!

You have to look at Eugenie Tung's fabulous works- at first glance, you would see various photos of empty rooms but you would feel like something was off. Feeling unsettled, you would look again, only to discover that these rooms were not just photos but paintings because the artist painted objects, pets and people, blending them into the background. She travelled all over the world and took pictures of her former residences, using the photos as a medium.

For instance, you could see the outlines of a person sitting on a chair, or two cats on the wooden floor. The artist would paint over these silhouettes in the background, rendering them invisible or even erased into the woodwork. The artist was able to achieve a delicate balance between extinction and potentiality of the space.

 













Jenny Schmid is a printmaker of incredible, satirical works focusing on society's obsessions: caffeine, audio, literature, and food, symbolizing that society cannot function without them at all. Each piece consists of a half-naked group sharing the same vice via different senses in close proximity. Through her social commentary, she forces the viewer to acknowledge the addictions in the world and how we unfortunately cannot survive without these vices.

 

Sunday, November 11

eyes on the stage


Check Tada Here!

5th Avenue Theatre
ADDAMS FAMILY
Open Captioned
Friday, November 9 at 8:00 PM

Seattle Repertory Theatre

GLASS MENAGERIE
Saturday, November 17 at 2 PM
Interpreters: Ginevra Deianni and Dave Morrison
Sign Coach: Ryan Schlecht

Kirkland Performance Center

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
Sunday, November 18 at 11 AM, 1 PM, & 3 PM
Interpreters: Andy Gault, Patye Nguyen, & Holly Wescott
Sign Coach: TBA


INSPECTING CAROL
Saturday, December 15 at 2 PM
Interpreters: Karen Royea & Andy Gault
Sign Coach: TBA
ELF- THE MUSICAL
Wednesday, December 26 at 7 PM
Interpreters: TBA
Sign Coach: TBA
Open Captioned: Sunday, December 16 at 7 PM

Monday, November 5

Review: The Vivacity of ASL

Napal Tesfai

Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Ryan is a Deaf Youth Drama Program Alum, National Theater of the Deaf Alum, comedian, actor, play director, and producer. He also performed and toured with “Big River”by Deaf West Theater in the States and internationally, earning a Tony Award.

Despite street construction on Jackson Street and limited parking, the show was sold-out with a variety of people in attendance. Deaf Spotlight has received mixed responses from theatre patrons. I’m not going to lie to you readers. The audience was ominously quiet, and I could sense confusion among the audience during the Lewis Carroll piece. I could tell some people were awed and others were annoyed. For those who are not familiar with Carroll’s works, Carroll (aka Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) was best known for his writings of ‘Alice’s Adventures in the Wonderland’ and its sequel ‘Through the Looking-Glass’.











Could it be because people did not understand Carroll’s works? Could it be because the skit was too long? I do know that Schlecht did an amazing job portraying the large number of characters during the Lewis Carroll piece. You have to give him praise for being on top of his game as in how he was able to fully express every character.

Schlecht then showed his witty short clip of the film of ‘Ghost” ("Got Matches?", directed and produced by Troy Kotsur and Deanne Bray. It's a separate, short film from the independent film, "Deaf Ghost" which Troy is the director. It's currently in pre-production. For more information, you can go to imdb.com. ) that was filmed after‘Big River’ that left the audience smiling then groaning and moaning for more of the film and wrapped up the show by telling the story of a cat and a dog’s relationship dynamics at home while their owner were out of the house. The skit proved that hearty laughter won the audience over.

Congratulations to Ryan Schlecht for a successful show and on behalf of Deaf Spotlight, we thank you for partnering with us!!