A"Sign" of the times: Fallon Elliot helps launch ASL collaboration for music and theatre

Fallon Elliot interpreting the fantasy in the UGA Department of Theatre and Film Studies production of “9 to 5” November 22, 2024.

Congratulations are in order for Fallon Elliot, who graduated December, 2024 with a BA in Theatre, a minor in American Sign Language (ASL), and a certificate in Musical Theatre. However, the Hugh Hodgson School of Music (HHSOM) and the UGA Department of Theatre and Film Studies (DTFS) owe Elliot their thanks as well. 

Elliot worked directly with Laurie Achin, lecturer for the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education at Mary Frances Early College of Education when petitioning the DTFS to add interpreting to their performances. After trying his hand at interpreting for student performances with the group NextAct, Elliot’s first official DTFS interpreted performance was Silent Sky. 

Since he was cast as one of the Audrey II performers in Little Shop of Horrors last spring, Elliot wasn’t able to be one of the interpreters. but he did encourage Daniel Ellis, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences academic professional in opera and musical theatre for HHSOM and DTFS, to include interpretation for the musical as well. 

“It was an exciting opportunity for everyone,” said Ellis, “ and it was a way to continue to provide accessibility to the work we’re doing in both schools.”

The addition of an ASL interpreted performance was very well received. DTFS has continued the collaboration this academic year for two productions. Ellis has now expanded this collaboration to HHSOM, with Elliot set as one of the interpreters for the Sunday matinee of the opera La finta giardiniera.

Elliot starts by building a visual translation from the text.  “ASL is structured differently than the English language; the grammar layout is entirely different and ASL is a visual language that can use classifiers and other elements to represent various ideas, so that ASL translation is useful for practicing and shifting my brain into that other language landscape.”

Elliot’s first experience of ASL happened at the same time as he discovered his love of theatre. “[Mom] would take me and my siblings to see shows...the Fox [Theatre] would always have two or three ASL interpreters that would stand lit up in front of stage right, and I’ve been drawn to them every time. It’s how I was introduced to American Sign Language, which then lead me to an interest in Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing (HOH) culture and learning ASL because I wanted to be an interpreter for performances like those at the Fox.”

Elliot is passionate about the need for ASL interpretation for live performances. “Deaf and HOH audiences deserve the same assess to artistic and creative spaces as hearing audiences. Full stop. There’s so much to gain by being able to participate in the magic of theatre and production, whether that’s life lessons, whimsy, or just an escape from the very hectic world we all exist in, and that should be accessible to everyone.

“UGA ended up being such a good environment for nurturing my passion for ASL interpreting. I took all four levels of their offered ASL classes immediately upon enrolling, and all the teachers are Deaf and wonderful to know and learn from. I’m so blessed to have gotten the opportunity to work with them all.”