Casting Call for Deaf Granny

Project Title: Deaf Granny's Kitchen

Location: Black Rock City, Nevada (Burning Man)

Performance Dates: August 25 - September 2, 2024

Roles Available: Deaf Granny (there are multiple people scheduled to assume the same role at different times of day and night during the event so we are looking for several more people)

About the Project:

Deaf Granny's Kitchen is an interactive performance art project founded in 2019 and produced by Deaf Granny Arts. The project aims to engage Burning Man participants in a unique experience that combines visual communication, sign language, and the warmth of human connection in a vintage 1950s kitchen set. The project is the primary interactivity offered by the theme camp of the same name at Burning Man. This initiative a gift to both the hearing and Deaf communities. With this gift, we seek to educate, entertain, and create meaningful interactions, embodying the spirit of inclusivity and community while providing exposure to visual communication concepts and elements of Deaf culture to people who may have never encountered a Deaf person before. These participants are then able to reference this enlightening experience later when they encounter Deaf people outside of Burning Man and hopefully bring a newfound ease and comfort to these real-life encounters.

Role Description:

We are seeking talented individuals from the Deaf community with a strong background in visual communication and sign language. The ideal candidate will embody the spirit of Deaf Granny, a character known for her engaging personality, wisdom, and ability to teach and inspire through her actions and interactions. 

You will wear the Deaf Granny wig and costume, transforming into a character that brings joy, education, and inclusivity to the playa. The Deaf Granny character is female-presenting but can be portrayed by any gender.

Deaf Granny is Deaf. You might even say she is grass-roots Deaf. She is a granny, too — everyone's sweet Italian or Jewish or Mexican grandmother, admonishing all who enter her domain to eat eat eat, to button up because it's cold, to wash your hands before eating, to drink your juice, to clean your plate, say please and thank you and may I be excused. She is an exaggerated characterization of compounded stereotypes. She’s campy. She’s funny. And she aims to teach a thing or two. Burning Man participants come sit in her kitchen, where she serves shots and sometimes snacks during their encounters

The main thrust of encounters with Deaf Granny is that people will come away having learned something. And we have carefully crafted the themes and parameters for encounters which Deaf Granny uses in a semi-improvisational way to imbue visitors with lessons about Deaf people and culture, about sign language and about communicating visually. 

There will also be appearances of Deaf Granny outside of the Deaf Granny’s Kitchen set such as at other camp events. These appearances will be much more improvisational and involve brief ad-hoc interactions with visitors to the camp.  

The general goal is to open minds and expand comfort zones, teach people some relevant signs, and expose visitors to cultural aspects and behavioral norms endemic to various degrees among Deaf populations. Encounters with Deaf Granny, we hope, leave people comfortable approaching and interacting with Deaf people they may encounter both on the Playa and in the default world. And we do this Burner style, using humor, sarcasm, playfulness, hugs, and a even shot of tequila here and there.

A very important note about this is that it is not a traditional role in a traditional production. You will be camping in a remote desert location for a week with a well-known and respected theme camp at Burning Man. Burning Man is a temporary experimental city built in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert annually. Participants build hundreds of theme camps, gifting all types of experiences, creating new bonds, sharing resources, then tear it all down, leaving no trace. It is a decommodified zone; there is no advertising, no commerce & no currency (other than for necessary water and sanitation services), and no expectation of recompense. You will be scheduled for four or five 2-hour Deaf Granny appearances throughout the week. The rest of the time, you do as you please, enjoying your time at Burning Man. Burning Man can be challenging, it is absolutely amazing, but is not for everyone. Please do reach out if you would like to discuss or have questions.

Responsibilities:

• Participate in preparation/rehearsals via Zoom
• Engage with Burning Man participants in a vintage 1950s kitchen setup
• Teach some situation-based signs and visual communication concepts using provided frameworks
• Maintain an inclusive, welcoming environment for learning and interaction
• Stay for the entire event as a participant camping with Deaf Granny’s Kitchen and prepare accordingly

Qualifications:

• Deaf
• Fluency in American Sign Language (ASL)
• Strong improvisational and interaction skills
• Ability to embody the Deaf Granny character with warmth and authenticity
• A flair for the theatrical and a passion for performance art
• Previous experience in performance art, theatre, sign language education or related fields is a plus
• Previous experience as a Burning Man participant is a plus

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should contact Deaf Granny's Kitchen via email at deafgrannyskitchen@gmail.com. Please include a brief introduction, your experience related to the role, and why you are interested in being part of Deaf Granny's Kitchen.  

Deadline for Applications: ongoing until filled

We are excited to bring Deaf Granny's Kitchen back to Burning Man and look forward to welcoming both returning and new talents to our team. Join us in creating an unforgettable experience that celebrates connection, learning, and the rich culture of the Deaf community.

For more information about Deaf Granny's Kitchen and our mission, please visit the Deaf Granny's Kitchen Website.