KATE NELSON

By Stan Griffin
Deaf Friends International Special Contributor

"It was amazing–like coming home." Australian deaf actress Kate Nelson said that about discovering sign language at the age of 21. "Suddenly, the whole Deaf world opened up." She had been born profoundly deaf into a hearing family and brought up completely in the hearing world, able to hear some sounds but not enough to understand speech. Kate wears hearing aids, speaks clearly, and can read lips.

Now in her 30s, her hearing is deteriorating so she identifies more and more with the Deaf Community. This is a closely joined society whose members believe " ... deafness is not a medical condition needing a cure (but) a cultural identity to be celebrated." She finds it a place to relax, to get away from the hearing world’s frustrations

As Kate came in contact with more and more hearing-impaired people, she was embarrassed because she didn’t know their "language." She is now learning American Sign Language. Self-conscious at first, she now finds it adds to her personality. She takes from it to enrich her acting for the Australian Theater of the Deaf in Sydney.

A. S. L. is more than forming shapes with her hands. Also in play are facial expressions, her posture, and other body movements, all aimed at conveying meaning and feeling to her audiences.

Although Kate’s hearing family at first had some reservations, now they now learning A.S.L. She " ... keeps a foot in both worlds" and says she won’t walk away from family and friends.

Kate also writes plays, and her new association provides inspiration for her work. She has gone through a phase when she expressed a lot of anger at how deaf people were (and still are) being treated.

Kate’s next stage appearance for the A. T. O. D. is a play titled "Friction," due to run from November 17-24. It "explores the idea of private vs. public self" and includes "visual music"–seen as well as heard. Its cast is mostly deaf. However, director, scriptwriter, and instrumentalist are hearing; and the play is aimed at hearing audiences.

In the future, Kate hopes to deal with more controversial deaf issues. One might be the desire of some deaf people to have deaf children.. Her eventual goal is to establish Deaf theater in a developing country.

Kate Nelson says she is " ... proud of her deafness ..." and doesn’t see herself as "having a disability." She believes the "theater gives deaf people a lot of pride about themselves."


© Stan Griffin, 2004

Source:

"Inside Deaf Culture: Kate Nelson..." by Carina Dennis, Oct. 20, 2004, news@nature.com, USA-L News