Weber State student brings musical theatre to life with heightened experience for Deaf, blind
OGDEN, Utah — Musical theatre major Audree Clark had her heart set on becoming a writer. Then her world opened up after taking an American Sign Language class in high school.Audree%20Clark.jpg)
The 20-year-old Weber State student has dedicated the past two years to researching and putting together a musical theatre production specifically made for Deaf and blind communities.
Clark grew up doing cheerleading and gymnastics. After starting high school in her hometown of Springville, Utah, she quickly shifted her personal interests to music and performance. When she was cast as the lead in a school musical during her sophomore year, she realized she wanted to pursue acting professionally.
“I just found that I really loved theatre,” Clark said. “I loved the singing and dancing, but also the costumes, rehearsals, and performances.”
After taking ASL classes throughout high school, Clark made it her mission to make her favorite thing in the world — musical theatre — more accessible and enjoyable for those with limited sight and hearing.
“I just love the language and it always felt so right to put it on the stage,” Clark said. “It felt like it was made for it.”
Clark said she was drawn to Weber State because of its well-rounded theatre program. She said the program has not only given her the opportunity to further her acting skills, but it’s also given her experience in playwriting, building sets, and even choreographing.
Since starting college, she has taken advantage of various scholarship opportunities, including the Undergraduate Research Fellows Program Scholarship and the Sophie Wetherell Reed Memorial Scholarship.
Her love of writing and musical theatre led her to compose, plan, and direct her current research project. She is in the process of creating a small production specifically made for the Deaf and blind, not just “made for hearing people but with some accommodations.”
This 15–20 minute show will feature deaf and blind actors on the stage. Audience members who are blind will be invited on a tactile tour before the performance, which is a guided experience to touch and feel sets, props, and costumes. There will also be audio descriptors to make the show as accessible as possible.
“We want to make sure that everything is understandable through sound, sight, and other senses because we’re looking at deaf, blind, as well as fully hearing and seeing people,” Clark explained.
Throughout the research process, Clark has faced many obstacles.
“I’m hearing, so I can’t write from the Deaf perspective and I’m not culturally a part of the Deaf community,” Clark said. “So I’ve had to figure out how to write from the hearing perspective while still including that accessibility on the stage.”
Clark hopes to eventually create a full-length, fully accessible production.
She said her experience at Weber State has come with endless opportunities for growth and unwavering support from professors, mentors, and the theatre community. She credits Andrew Barratt Lewis, WSU’s theatre program director and assistant professor, as her biggest supporter since day one.
“She brings an intelligence and professionalism to every setting she works in,” Lewis said. “It’s been rewarding to see her learn and grow throughout her time here at Weber State.”
After she graduates, Clark plans to save up and make her way to one of the country’s largest stages for professional theatre — Broadway. But she doesn’t necessarily want to limit herself to New York. Clark said she’s also interested in traveling and auditioning around the country.
In addition to her Broadway ambitions, Clark said she plans to combine her love of theatre and writing by pursuing a career in playwriting.
She said she’ll always be grateful for the connections and encouragement she’s found at Weber State. She believes if you have the initiative and dedication, there will always be support out there.
“Find a way,” she said. “If you have the passion and if you have the idea, just go for it and things will come to you.”
Elva Mora, Marketing & Communications
- Contact:
Rachel Badali, Interim Public Relations Director
801-626-7362, rachelbadali@weber.edu