Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546047
LOCAL706.ORG • 61 Beauty Beyond Communication Barriers Hello fellow artists! How many of you have ever experienced a communication barrier between you and your talent? My name is Kelly "Ginger" Thorpe, and I've been a professional make-up artist since 2008. I also trained as an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter and am passionate about working with Deaf talent in Hollywood, The Deaf community has been getting more and long-awaited recognition recently with successful films like CODA and A Quiet Place. So, what do you do when you are booked on a job with an actor (or crew member!) who is Deaf ? Most likely, there will be interpreters on set, but they may not always be available at every interaction you will have with the Deaf person(s). Having a few tools in your proverbial pocket and knowing some cultural norms will help ease the language barrier for both of you and create lovely moments of connection. Here are a few helpful insights many hearing people may not know about interacting with Deaf/Hard of Hearing (HoH) folks: • When an interpreter is present, look at and communicate *directly* with the Deaf/HoH person as you would a hearing person. No "tell them I said…" or "ask them what…" etc. • Lip-reading is not easy and is rarely fully accurate. • Hearing loss is a spectrum. Many people who are legally Deaf may have some level of hearing. They may be able to speak for themselves or, when the environment is right, be able to hear your speech. • ASL and English are two different languages. ASL is not just "English on the hands," it has its own grammatical structure and rich history. • Facial expressions are a HUGE part of successful communication in ASL. Think of facial expressions like the tone or pitch of your voice. I interviewed two of my actor friends in LA who are Deaf and asked them to share their experiences on set and tips for the artists of Local 706. Hello! Could you introduce yourself to us? How long have you been acting? Stephanie Nogueras: Hi, I may be known as "Natalie" from Switched at Birth on Freeform, which was my acting debut. I have been acting more than 15 years now. Jared DeBusk: Hey! My name is Jared DeBusk, and I've been acting since I was a kid. I first discovered my love for performing when I played Baby Bear in Goldilocks and the Three Bears at a small- town arts festival in Brooksville, Florida. That experience sparked something in me, and after earning a degree in performance studies, I packed my B Y KELLY "GINGER" THORPE M A K E - U P A R T I S T T R A I N E E Kelly "Ginger" Thorpe Stephanie Nogueras Jared DeBusk