The teenage boy that you will see cannot hear what is being said. He has been deaf from birth, yet he
is a member of a society that has a rich volume of folklore. The desire and necessity to express one's
feelings is accomplished in a variety of ways. The use of pantomime is extensively used to give body
and color to a system of sign language. This tape will demonstrate the use of sign language
with facial expressions and body movements. These will be seen as conscious pattern motifs in places
and improvised in others. Overall, this tape will show a language not able to be fully translated into
a spoken language, yet communicating very explicit thoughts. Donald Robinson plays a man sorting out tickets
In the famous ticket scene, during this skit, we'll see various pattern motifs as mentioned
in the introduction. Earl Bennett plays the man going to the show. He looks around, notices where the
movie's being played, decides he'd like to buy a ticket. One ticket, please, says Earl. Don hands him
a ticket. Earl reaches into his pocket for his wallet and hands him a dollar.
Earl looks around, noticing the lights, and walks on to the ticket taker. Quickly, Earl returns, a very
pained expression on his face as he looks at the floor. Hesitates, looks back at the ticket taker and
walks once again back to Don. He bends over, indicating he would also like another ticket. Whenever
Earl would like a ticket, he always bends over.
returned to the ticket taker. Don continues to sort out his tickets, looks in the drawer for his money.
Dumb, Earl says, very pained expression on his face. Bending over, he says, I would like another ticket.
Earl looks back, indicating that the ticket taker is the cause of all his problems.
hands Don a dollar, takes the ticket. This time he hesitates, hitches up his pants and charges in like
a bull to the ticket taker. Don sort of sorts out his tickets. The hesitation in charging in like a bull is a
A pattern responsive Earl. Earl hesitates, looks back, says dumb again, shrugs his shoulders indicating
the end of the look back scene at the ticket taker. Asks for another ticket. Don this time also looks
back. Earl looks back, awesome. Pays for another ticket. Earl's about ready to perform another one of
his motifs.
Hesitates, hitches up his pants, charges in once more. Don continues to sort out his tickets. This time
on the look-back, Earl brandishes his fist and rubs it in the palm of his hand.
says, one more ticket, please, the fist emphasizing his anger. This time Don looks at him and says,
what's the matter? He makes me so angry, that ticket man. He's tearing up my tickets. Oh, no, says Don.
Earl, continuing to show his fist, shows amazement. Earl Bennett stars again in the scene. What's he
looking at up there?
and seriously comes. What's Earl looking at? What is it up there? Don's looking up there. Achoo! Oh,
Earl. Donald Robinson is a referee in the great fight between Earl Bennett. The great Earl Bennett shows
his prowess. All right, Earl.
Good going. In the other corner, Dan Circe. Tough Dan Circe. This proves to be the fight of the century,
folks. Don has to keep the two apart. Brings them together now. Is it OK? There is none of this. No
hair pulling. No hair pulling.
None of this. No gouging in the eyes. None of that. There's none of this. No pulling out the tongue.
No pulling at the nose. None of that. And no pulling down of the pants. Come back here. All right,
you two. Shake hands. Yeah, we'll get each other.
Dan and Earl can't keep away from each other. This ought to be a very tough match today. All right,
back off. All right, are you ready? Get ready, Earl. Earl sits down. Dan sits down. A game of checkers.
Don meets his friend Dan Searcy. Don and Dan are going to go out on a drive now. They play part of a
skit where they're their hearing couple and a deaf couple will be in the back seat.
Dan's rolling himself a joint of marijuana. Lights it up. Don gets ready for the big drive. Shifts gears.
Driving down the road.
Don now is playing that he can hear the radio. Pounding his thigh to the music. This is too loud for
Dan. Turn that down. Don stomps on the brakes. I can't hear. That's too loud. Turn it down.
The guy is so frustrated. He dances here. Try some of this. She'll calm down. Ah, that's not too bad.
Alright. Marty Nating plays a marionette. This is strictly pantomime. No sign language involved at all.
Brian Riz camming it up in the background.
Marty Nading has a drunk driver, one of his favorite themes. Marty presents an interesting contrast
with Brian Risk, previously shown, who was just hamming it up, being himself, imitating his favorite
hero, the Fonz. Now, Marty's driving along in his very drunken state. He maintains that he can drive
as he wheezes across the road,
Rocking back and forth. He says, I can drive, it's okay. Marty is not paying a bit of attention to what
he's doing. Whang! Laid back dead. Goodbye, Marty. Randy Holmes, doing his own composition, Silver Bells,
says, snow is coming on the ground. White grass,
covered with frost. I see a shining silver on the door. It shines
right on my eyes you heard silver bells you heard silver bells girls
like the sound of bells. Girls love the color of bells. Girls know a secret from me.
girls kisses on my lips when bells struck. You heard silver bells as they struck. You
heard silver bells when the moon comes out. Stars full
with sky. Clouds moves to the west. Snow, fall, slowing to the ground.
You heard silver bells. You heard silver bells.
Bell struck. Another one of his compositions, entitled, I'm Coming Home on Christmas Day, is when snow
fell to the ground, I'm turning to white like ashes.
Stars surrounding me. All leaves are gone. Trees become white. I'm coming home in winter time.
coming home on Christmas, the day after Christmas Eve. Christ was born the day
Did I come? Listen and hear the sound of Christmas song. I looked up there, coming
down on my head. Then cold wind makes my eyes tears. Here the bells struck
three times. I'm coming on Christmas Day. I will be home on Christmas Day. The moon so bright
shine on my face. Ice covers up the lake. Skates on the lake with ice. I am coming home
on Christmas day. I am coming home on Christmas day. Marty Nadine, in a scene where he takes his girl
to the movies, talking to his girl now,
this year. I've got enough money. We'll go drive. Marty's sitting in the car. Driving down the road
now. We'll stop here. Marty gets out of the car.
for some tickets wow that's a lot of money okay there's four dollars Marty sits down in a seat talking
to his girlfriend now we'll see the movie great Marty uses a lot of pantomime with the signs here cuz
you look beautiful
I'd like to kiss you. Talking to the man next to him. It's gonna be a good movie, he says to him. Marty's
checking his money. His girlfriend wants some popcorn, some cokes.
So I like some popcorn. Two cokes. How much is it? What? Five dollars? Okay. Thank you. Marty sits back
down again. There's your popcorn. Wow, he says.
This is a scene in the classroom. Carl Pramink plays a student in the classroom here putting his books down.
to one of his favorite magazines to read. Much better than doing schoolwork. Carl relaxes. Here comes
a teacher, Randy Holmes. What are you doing? You should be studying. All right.
See, he's dumb. I'm gonna give you a quiz now, an oral quiz. Sure, it'll be easy. I can pass a quiz.
Can I pass the test? Sure. Watch me. Karl Pramek is preparing to pass his test. He's ready.
Watch me now. Alright? Karl Pramek passed his test.
Way to go, Carl. And act with the three stooges. The final scene. No interpretation needed.
The preceding skits were done to show that the language that the deaf people use is not the English
language. The interpretations that I gave were hardly at all capable of expressing the real thoughts
that the boys were expressing themselves. The intention of this tape would be that somebody could use
this as a tool in hopes to teach people how to
to use and to understand nonverbal communication much better than we do. It can be used as an aid for
understanding a lot of the hidden signals that one another communicate to each other. And in particular,
it would hopefully be a tool that could be used in understanding and communicating with the deaf people
who number 7 million people in the country today.