by Jack Uslabar

April 26th’s Deaf Stories Project StorySlam, the seventh annual, was unlike anything I have ever attended. Featuring eight Deaf storytellers with live interpretation, the evening showcased stories too often ignored and literally never heard.

Taking place at Anodyne Coffee on Bruce St., the sold-out slam packed the cavernous space with people chatting in sign language and nibbling on food, courtesy of Deaf-owned food truck Zwina Bites. The cafe was warm with glowing string lights, the tinkle of teacups, and the aroma of fresh coffee. The format was a little different from a traditional Ex Fabula event: 1) there were no UltraShorts written and collected, and 2) the slam was not competitive.

Between doors opening and the first story, I was fortunate enough to talk to two of the five live interpreters before the slam. Both Tony and Maiah attended and interpreted at last year’s Deaf StorySlam and said that the annual event was unique in Milwaukee—the closest comparison they came up with was Deaf Trivia. Tony however, had previously traveled with a few storytelling organizations and was a Deaf StorySlam veteran. This evening, he was translating his brother José’s story.

Hosts Christopher Rawlings and Mayra Castrejón-Hernandez took the stage to a sea of shaking hands, the ASL equivalent of clapping. They hyped up the audience and taught everyone the ASL terms PAH! (finally) and Kiss Fist. Being unfamiliar with sign language, I was immediately struck by the different ways they used it. Christopher’s speech was animated and comedic, while Mayra’s was comparatively subdued yet nonetheless energetic.

  • Charlotte (CK) was the first teller to take the stage, sharing a story about her mom adopting a cat on their shared birthday without her father’s permission, only for her dad to become enamored with the cat.
  • Jill was next up, regaling us with tales of all of the celebrities she met at Comic Con in Chicago and her surprise that some actors who brilliantly portrayed villains were very friendly in real life.
  • Tim followed, sharing his adventures as the director of a Robin Hood play in high school and his creative solutions to the logistical challenges the play created.
  • José closed the first set with the emotional tale of his brother Tony’s, and son Humberto’s, parallel health scares. The piece was made even more powerful by Tony’s live interpretation and Humberto’s presence in the audience.
  • Following the 10 minute intermission (closer to 15, as the event was on what host Christopher Rawlings jokingly called “Deaf Standard Time”), Melani took the stage and recounted her difficult relationship with her father, who didn’t understand her deafness, and their eventual reconciliation on Christmas.
  • Suzanne told the audience about nursing her adopted sister through her cancer and the bond they formed and ended on a happy note: her sister is now in remission.
  • Kaishawna told the painful and inspiring story of her dream of becoming a Deaf musician, from struggling for recognition in middle school band to her current study of music theory.
    • After she finished, host Christopher shared an equally jaw-dropping anecdote about his Deaf gaming friend, who played saxophone in high school by following live sign language interpretation.
  • Michael closed the night with two short pieces. The first was an account of how he got his sign (shark) at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf by circling his friend in the swimming pool. The second was about his scuba diving friend, who was traumatized after finding a dead body in Lake Geneva. The deceased was a woman who had been murdered and dumped in the lake by her own husband—Michael finished by pondering the irony of the killer fishing in the lake, knowing his wife’s body was down there.

Unlike the other slams I’ve attended, this one was not competitive. I’m glad, because it would have been impossible to pick a winner from the rich array of stories told. The choice also highlighted the community at the center of the night: attendees and tellers came from as far away as Ohio, to celebrate Deaf experiences through stories.

It was an eye-opening experience for me, someone who knows no sign language, to see these performances. I laughed and cried at pieces I never would have known without the space created by the Deaf Stories Project. The evening wrapped up with a final bow from the storytellers and a group hug, a perfect representation of the night. Storytellers from the seventh annual Deaf StorySlam: Jaw Dropping embrace in a group hug while audience members wave their hands in applause.

Stories from Deaf StorySlam: Jaw Dropping are now available to watch on the Ex Fabula YouTube page.