Wenatchee High School ASL Program Ready to Stage Second Annual Sign Idol Show
And with budget cuts and layoffs looming, it could be their last
The Wenatchee High School American Sign Language program is preparing to stage its second Sign Idol show on May 24 and due to district-wide layoffs, it could be the last.
“I will no longer be at Wenatchee High School next year so I'm not entirely sure what the future of this show looks like,” WHS ASL Teacher Danielle Meadows said. “So if you are all interested this might be your last chance.”
Meadows wants the community to know how much time and effort her students have been working, and that they can expect an all-ages show with plenty of razzle-dazzle.
“We've been working every day since the end of January,” she said. “These students are translating songs into ASL, which is not their native language, and then we add choreography, we add makeup we had costumes, we add lighting.”
WHS student Sierra Rodriguez said she got interested in learning ASL because she’s a visual learner who likes to talk with her hands.
But she has a more personal reason as well.
“I also have a deaf family member and she's really important to me too. So I think it's really cool to be able to learn her language and her culture and be able to learn from that,” she said.
Both Rodriguez and her classmate Olivia Bardan performed in last year’s sign, and like Rodriguez, Bardan said she got interested in ASL because she is very expressive when she speaks and uses her hands a lot. She said last year’s show was amazing and this one is going to be too, and folks should get their tickets now.
“You can come to the box office or you can learn about it on the ASL social media, we have Instagram and Facebook,” she said.
You can also get tickets by scanning the QR code on this graphic.
Meadows wants folks to know the show is not just for people who know ASL or are deaf.
“We are playing the music so if you love music, if you love supporting students and supporting programs, it's for all ages and everybody can enjoy it,” she said.
You can watch a short video featuring interviews with Meadows and a few of the starts of the show here.