>From the newsroom of The Springfield News-Leader, Springfield, Missouri,
Thursday, September 27, 2001 ....

A world of possibilities

Acting workshop inspires hearing-impaired students.
By Claudette Riley
News-Leader

Zach Stickman has always wanted to be an architect. On Wednesday, he added
actor to the list of possibilities.

The 16-year-old's list may grow even more now that he has learned that being
deaf won't limit his dreams.

In workshops with acting professionals Wednesday, Zach was eager to try each
new exercise. He acted happy, he acted sad. He did improvisation with a team
of deaf students from area schools.

"I wasn't really nervous. I was comfortable," the Logan-Rogersville High
School student said through an interpreter. "I was happy. I felt normal."

The acting workshop at Holland Elementary, a school known for its hearing
impaired program, was part of the local celebration of the national Deaf
Awareness Week. Events were planned at Springfield, Rogersville and Ozark
but they were opened to area students, interpreters and community members.

Jarrett Middle School teacher Patti Wilson, who teaches hearing impaired
kids, said the deaf students and teachers look forward to the week's
activities, including sessions on problem-solving and mainstreaming.

"This is just a wonderful week, being able to be in a large group of deaf
children," she said. "They are just learning to be able to express
themselves and be who they are."

Emmy-winning actress Liz Tannebaum gave the students acting tips, talked
about the need for closed-captioning in movies and imparted wisdom from her
life.

"Don't be angry if the hearing world doesn't want you. Get a deaf acting
group together," Tannebaum signed to the students. "It's not your problem.
It's their problem."

In the back of the room, Wilson was cheering. She said hearing that from the
Chicago-based actress, who won her Emmy for work with the comedy group
Second City, would mean more to the students.

"It's very important what she told the kids. Deaf does not mean dumb," said
Wilson. "She let these kids know that they can expand their reach. They've
been told 'you can't,' but when there's a drive and a dream, they can."

The students immediately connected with the actress, asking if she had kids
or pets. Some told Tannebaum they wanted to be like her, invited her to a
Friday picnic and shared their feelings about the Sept. 11 attacks in New
York City and Washington, D.C.

"I was scared and I was talking to my interpreters in homeroom that day,"
Jarrett Middle School student Rebecca Martin said through an interpreter.
"She informed me what happened and I started crying."

Joshua Flanders, director of the Chicago Institute for the Moving Image,
urged the students to submit a film to a March 2002 "Festival of Cinema for
the Deaf."

Flanders and Tannebaum are visiting schools this week to promote the
festival, offer acting workshops and encourage deaf students.

"We're here because we just want to plant the seed," Flanders said. "None of
these kids have been to a movie theater. Imagine having never seen a movie."

Holland teacher Chris Kometer has said her students plan to submit a film to
the festival. They will likely work with area schools.

Flanders said there are many jobs in film for the deaf, including script
writers, camera operators, actors and editors.

"They also want to have their dreams projected in front of others," he said.


Brandon Simmoneau, 11, a student at Jarrett Middle School, said he wants to
be a photographer. He called meeting the actress "special."

Zach echoed Brandon's sentiments, saying that having a deaf actress in
Springfield meant something to him.

"She told us to be ourself," he said. "It really gives you a sense of the
success you can have."

Copyright ® 2001, The Springfield News-Leader