the hearing audience is the guest here

Ashley Lee on Deaf Republic at Playbill. Dead Centre’s production brings Deaf and hearing performers, puppetry and live cinema to NYU Skirball November 12–15. Communication, and who gets accommodated, is the main event.

Adapted from Ilya Kaminsky’s poetry with Sign Language poet Zoë McWhinney, this is a useful reminder that access can shape the art rather than arrive as an accessory. The venue lists International Sign, spoken English and creative written-English captioning, but explicitly says the production is not fully captioned. Check its accessibility details before booking.

Source: Ashley Lee, Playbill, October 22, 2026. Production photographs by Johan Persson, via NYU Skirball’s official production page; used for editorial coverage of the production.