Deaf Crows Collective transforms The Tempest into a physical, inclusive theatre experience

Regina’s Performing Arts Centre hosts a unique production of Shakespeare’s classic, performed entirely by deaf actors. Damian Smith has the story.

A cast of 13 actors took to the stage Wednesday night to perform The Tempest — but not in the way audiences are used to seeing a Shakespeare play.

Presented by Deaf Crows Collective, the production reimagines William Shakespeare’s classic through physical theatre, mime, puppetry, and projection, removing spoken language entirely. Instead, the play uses an innovative eight-channel sound design that allows deaf audiences to experience sound through vibration.

“We wanted to make it accessible to everybody. We’re calling it ‘Shakespeare for everyone,’” said executive director of Deaf Crows Collective Michelle Grodecki. “There’s no spoken language, no closed captioning, and no sign language. We’ve taken all of the language and turned it into physical theatre.”

The Tempest, one of Shakespeare’s later works, follows Prospero, the Duke of Milan, who is betrayed by his brother and exiled to a magical island with his daughter. After years of plotting revenge, Prospero finally has the chance to confront those who wronged him when they cross the ocean near his island.

Deaf Crows Collective has been operating for a decade, with Grodecki saying the process of developing this production took nearly three years. The group also recruited nine new actors specifically for this performance.

“When you take Old English and translate it into American Sign Language, it doesn’t always translate well,” Grodecki said. “We wanted to take on the challenge of reimagining it entirely.”

Actor Fatima Nafisa, a longtime member of the collective, plays Miranda, Prospero’s daughter. Nafisa says the character has been reworked to better reflect strength and independence.

“In our version of the show, Miranda is more mature and confident,” Nafisa said. “She fights for what she wants, she’s not allowing herself to be a victim.”

Some cast members are also serving behind the scenes along with acting in this production. Mustafa Alabssi, who fled Syria in 2016, is both acting and directing and says he relates deeply to Prospero’s story of exile.

“Prospero had to leave because his brother wanted power,” Alabssi said. “When I think of my own life, I didn’t know what to do, I had a lot of learning to do.”

Both Alabssi and Nafisa credit silent film legend Charlie Chaplin as a major inspiration, citing his ability to communicate emotion without sound.

Alabssi previously appeared in the Netflix series Black Summer in 2019.

The Tempest runs at the Regina Performing Arts Centre until Saturday. Deaf Crows Collective hopes to tour the production nationally within the next year.