Qalb (a journey of the Ego) had a short (one week) run at the Tarragon Theatre and closed Sept. 14 but it warrants comment. Any show created and performed by Dawn Jani Birley is worthy of comment.
1S1 Production, co-presented by Why Not Theatre. Presented in ASL and spoken English.
Written by Salla Fagerström, Debbie Z. Rennie, Deb’e Taylor and Dawn Jani Birley.
Directed by Debbie Z. Rennie
Set by Maryam Hafizirad
Costumes by Giedrius Šarkauskas
Lighting by André du Toit
Cast: Dawn Jani Birley
Deb’e Taylor (and Taiko Drummer)
Here is the website blurb in total: We have been asked to quote the language exactly so I am using the whole website blurb about Qalb – A Journey of the Ego-
“Qalb means “heart” in Persian, the native language of the beloved 13th century poet, Rumi. Diving into his world of thoughts and poetry, 1s1 Theatre’s latest production Qalb – A Journey of the Ego is about heart and resilience. Inspired by Dawn Jani Birley’s life as a Deaf person facing audism, her struggle for equity is relatable to all dealing with oppression. Birley turns to the philosophy of Rumi to transform her isolation, anger, and frustration into a force of love in the world.
A completely new and original work, Qalb creates a dynamic communication space for everyone, bringing ASL (along with spoken English) to the stage, celebrating the richness of this vivid, visual language. Following its 2023 ground-breaking debut production, Lady M, 1s1 Theatre continues to forge a new Deaf-led theatre movement in Canada. Their latest work offers Deaf audiences access to Rumi’s poetry in their native language and presents both Deaf and hearing audiences new ways of seeing and understanding the world. Together, following the wisdom of Rumi, we work to become reflections of our true selves and create a world in which we all wish to live.”
One must also note Dawn Jani Birley’s explosive appearance on the Toronto stage in Prince Hamlet, Why Not Theatre’s compelling reworking of Hamlet in which she played Horatio and signed the performance. Horatio became the centre of the production. Birley was magnetic, vivid and arresting in her energy in expression in the part.
While the explanation of Qalb – A Journey of the Ego-is fascinating and conjures how Birley’s isolation, anger and frustration are transformed into a force of love in the world, the actual show is not as convincing.
Anger certainly does drive the show. The despicable phrase “Deaf and dumb” opens the show—describing a person who can’t hear or speak. Birley signs and Deb’e Taylor (who plays Ego) says clearly that she is not ‘dumb.’
One does imagine this old cliché haunting Birley and other deaf people years ago, but one questions its use today, when we are so sensitive to language, definition and application and try scrupulously to ease the way, through respectful language today. Naïve of me? Perhaps, but a valid question. Would an insensitive cretin who would use such a phrase be in this audience? If the phrase is used today it’s clear that the user of the phrase is the ‘dumb’ one. Was its inclusion for the ‘converted?’
There is a scene at a dinner table with family in which the lone deaf person—Dawn Jani Birley—is isolated because the others who are not deaf are not including her because they refuse to learn sign language. This is called the Dinner Table Syndrome. I found this troubling because Dawn Jani Birley is third generation deaf. Her family would all know American Sigh Language. Is this scene supposed to represent those deaf people in which the family refuses to learn sign to communicate? Shouldn’t that be made clearer? It suggests that Birley experienced that and considering her background, that scene seems disingenuous.
There was a wonderful comment at the beginning of the performance about ‘signing’ and that most of the audience wouldn’t understand it. In fact most of the audience in that last performance were able to understand it because almost all of them were signing in the lobby. I reckon only three of us didn’t understand the signing—it was refreshing to be in ‘the minority’ in this case.
Director Debbie Z. Rennie and her creative team created a beautiful, evocative theatrical production. Surtitles of Rumi poems were projected on a screen in large letters and dissolved with stylish flourishes. I just wished that by the last performance the focus on the projections was sharper so they could be read easily. How could that have been missed? And why Rumi? He is a wonderful poet, but why him for the journey through dealing with the world’s ideas on deafness? I’d love a bit more context.
There were scenes of Dawn Jani Birley and Deb’e Taylor as Ego were intertwined on the floor or danced in connected unison illuminating the wonderful connection of self and ego and the difficulty of separation.
Deb’e Taylor not only vocalized what Dawn Jani Birley was signing, she is also a Taiko drummer and accentuated moments with the amplified drumming. The difficulty was often hearing what she was saying because the drumming drowned her out. We are there to hear, experience, listen and appreciate. Isolating part of the hearing audience? I don’t want to believe that was the intention.
Dawn Jani Birley is a force of creation and a great spokesperson for the deaf community. She has travelled the world and been celebrated for her artistry. One doesn’t doubt the tremendous difficulties she and other deaf people have endured to get to where they want to go. And she got there in spite of insensitive cretins in the way. I appreciate her work. I will always want to see it. I just wished that Qalb -A Journey of the Ego- told a clearer, more genuine story, with more attention to the technical glitches.
The show closed Sept. 14 after performing for a week.