Deaf, hearing team up for bilingual play

From: Kansas City Star - Kansas City,MO,USA - Apr 17, 2004

By NOEMI HERRERA
The Kansas City Star

Students from Frontier Trail Junior High School, Oregon Trail Junior High School and the Kansas School for the Deaf have been working for six weeks in preparation of their special play, "The Taste of Sunrise" by Suzan Zeder.

Set to be staged at 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at Frontier Trail Junior High School, 143rd and Black Bob Road, the play will be presented in sign language and in spoken English. It depicts the life of Tuc, who became deaf as a result of Scarlet fever during infancy.

The main character is played by 14-year-old Noah Buchholz, who is deaf and takes classes at the school for the deaf as well as Olathe South and Frontier Trail.

Eric Magnus, the drama teacher at Frontier Trail, said this is the first time he has staged a bilingual play and has enjoyed the challenge.

Many times, he said, he has seen the students from the school for the deaf and the students from Frontier Trail making genuine connections.

For example, he said, there have been several instances where he has seen the deaf kids teaching the hearing students sign language.

"That in itself was kind of part of the reason I did the show. To bridge the gap between those who are hearing and those who are deaf," he said.

The student director is Taylor Lewis of Olathe South High School, and interpreters are Terri Custer and Sarah Long.

Other students in the play include Chris Britt, Nathanial Kern, Jessica Berberich, Shawna Blackman, Kati Tompkins, Paul Matthews, Ethan Davis, Abigail Sanders, Molly Wetzel, Cody Tousey, Jordan Funke, Kaitlin Hodgkin, Ryan Rosewurm, Claire Boldry, Logan Skidmore, Jessica Hillen, Ellen Coriden, Colton Tatham, Ashley Wells, Cole Thompson, Tyler McCurry, Abigail Buchholz, Kyle Shaffer, Alyssa Storm, Ruth Yaregal, Tashua Lewis and Ashley Wenberg.

© 2004 Kansas City Star and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.