STRIVE
Episode 6: Alexandria Wailes & Frank Dattolo - American Deaf practitioners in the USA
18th March 2021 at 7.30pm in #TheGreenRoom_UK
Stephen Collins of The DH Ensemble talks to Alexandria Wailes and Frank Dattolo.
BSL Interpreted by: Anna Kitson and Martin Fox-Roberts
ASL Interpreted by: Bill Moody and Candace Broecker Penn
Frank L Dattolo, a Queens, NYC native, is excited to collaborate with STRIVE! Frank’s theatre experiences, including multiple acting and directing roles with National Theatre of the Deaf, New York Deaf Theatre, and Interboro Repertory Theatre. As part of his work at NTD, he organized the World Wide Deaf Theatre Conference. In 2014, he portrayed Laurent Clerc in Carol Schneider’s NYC original production of MOVEMENT OF THE SOUL, along with Alexandria Wailes, and directed by Joe Cacaci. He is one of the founders of Senses Askew Company and A.C.O.R.N. Theatre Camp. Frank has also taped guided tours for Acoustiguide, available in museums along the East Coast: the National 9/11 Memorial Museum and Park, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, United Nations, Casa Loma in Toronto, and the National Gallery of Art in DC. He has served as ASL advisor to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, and mentored students in theatrical interpreting with Julliard and the Theatre Development Fund, as well as for Hands On. Currently, Frank is High School Supervisor at Lexington School for the Deaf in Queens, NY and this year marks his 23rd year with the school. While at Lexington, he cut: couldn’t help himself but directed high school productions of MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, OUR TOWN, GLASS MENAGERIE, and an original parable pantomime play, titled QUEST. He was honored to conceive and direct RED, WHITE, and BLUE, a tribute to Ralph and Ricky Lauren. When his schedule allows him to work in theatre, he seizes the day!
Alexandria Wailes received a 2020 Obie Citation for Sustained Excellence as an Artist
and Advocate. She received a Lucille Lortel nomination for Outstanding Featured
Actress in a Play For Colored Girls at The Public. Broadway: Deaf West’s Spring Awakening, Big River (Tony Honoree for Ensemble). Off Broadway: Playwright Horizon’s I Was Most Alive with You, A Kind Of Alaska. Film: ‘The Hyperglot’; TV: ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’, ‘High Maintenance’, ‘Little America’, ‘Nurse Jackie’. As Director of Artistic Sign Language: the revival of Broadway’s Children Of A Lesser God and King Lear; TV/Film: This Close S. 1 & 2; Quantico S.3; A Quiet Place 1 & 2; Wonderstruck. Ms. Wailes advised ASL interpreted teams for Hands On and TDF on numerous Broadway shows. Works as an educator for The Jewish Museum, the Whitney & LES Tenement museum, conducting ASL tours. Alexandria Wailes was a company member of Heidi Latsky Dance and is now a member of Forest of Arden. She is also a co-founder of BHo5.org. Proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA and SDC. www.alexandriawailes.com
You can follow Stephen Collins on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/beingstephenc?lang=en
What is American Sign Language? https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/american-sign-language
Alexandria Wailes biography: http://www.alexandriawailes.com/bio.html
Leni Lenape: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenape
National Theatre of the Deaf USA: https://ntd.org
ACORN Theatre Camp: http://www.signtalkfoundation.org/franks-corner/franks-corner/
Lexington School and Centre for the Dear in Manhattan: https://www.lexnyc.org
Deaf West Theatre Company: https://www.deafwest.org
‘Spring Awakening’ production in TIME magazine: https://time.com/4062110/spring-awakening-broadway-deaf-west/
9/11 Memorial and Museum: https://www.911memorial.org
Black Lives Matter: https://blacklivesmatter.com
Movements of the Soul: https://clercsinferno.com
Senses Askew Company: https://www.facebook.com/sensesaskew/
What is a Director of Artistic Sign Language?: https://www.playwrightshorizons.org/shows/trailers/process-talk-what-director-artistic-sign-language/
New Victory Theatre: https://newvictory.org
You can find all previous episode of #TheGreenRoom_UK at: https://www.strivecollective.org/the-green-room