Department Chair Statement
In the Heights Spring Production
In Fall 2020, the department decided to select In the Heights, by Lin Manuel Miranda, for production in Spring 2022. Prior to this decision, Performing Arts faculty Dr. Luane Davis Haggerty had a positive discussion about directing the musical with students in her Sign Mime class who were also members of the NTID Latin American Deaf Club. Because she is white, Dr. Haggerty has enlisted local hearing Latinx theater artists to take on key technical roles in the production. The department is also actively searching for Deaf Latinx to take on technical roles in the production, such as translation, costume design and hair/make-up. At this early stage of development, we are focused on filling technical roles. Once the semester begins, we will focus on casting. Dr. Haggerty is committed to casting Deaf Latinx students at NTID and in the Rochester area in as many roles as possible. Dr. Haggerty also plans to organize Deaf Latinx-led workshops to discuss cultural issues throughout the production process, including colorism and other concerns that have been raised regarding the recently released movie version of In the Heights. As department chair, I will reach out to Deaf Latinx students in the fall semester to ensure community involvement and support for the production. I encourage anyone who has concerns to contact me directly: Jill.Bradbury@rit.edu.