I suppose I could have written about more broad topics concerning my relationship with the Deaf community and the issues, but to be honest. I was tired. I had been writing about being a hearing father with a deaf daughter for nearly twenty years and I was weary of discussing the topics and documenting the ups and downs. So I stopped...well, sort of.
I actually did spend an inordinate amount of time (years) researching and writing a play called "Preying Hands." I worked with Deaf actor Howie Seago on this epic drama that spans four decades and tells the story of the survivors of sexual abuse by a Catholic priest at the St. John's School for the Deaf in Wisconsin.
We had a couple of round table reads at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland and a staged reading in Seattle for the Deaf community there. A few re-writes and development stopped, but I did publish it like you might do with a master thesis. So it available for reading but it's not a "finished" theatre work...hoping some day it will be.
More recently, my play "Silent Salzburg" received it's third production. It was produced by the Rocky Mountain Deaf Theatre this past October. I was happy that they received a lot of good feedback and recognition for the company.
So I wasn't totally gone, but I did retreat from being a "parent advocate" though I did go back to the California School for the Deaf in Fremont a couple of times to participate in new parent orientation meetings to offer advice and answer questions.
It's hard not to be a braggart when it comes to my daughter because she's done so well her whole life, but especially since she went away to college. She received her B.A. in Theatre and her MA in ASL from Gallaudet University and now teaches there. On top of that she been nailing lead roles in plays and getting great reviews from D.C. Theatre critics - topped off by winning a Helen Hayes Award for her portrayal of Helen Keller in a new musical called "Visible Language."
You can check out Miranda's brand new actress website here: mirandamedugno.weebly.com
Okay, that's it for now but I promise it won't be another 2,000 days until I post again...if you care.
