IN JANUARY Juliette Geidt had a ticket to India and was

alls
sta

Juliette Geidt of North Vancouver
was packing her bags to go to India when
she was asked to perform in Children of a Lesser God

looking forward to learning more about the world.

But a call from a local casting
director had the 23-year-old North
Vancouver actress unpacking, and
getting ready to teach others about
her own world — the world of the
deaf,

Geidt is one of three deaf actors
featured in the Tony-award winn-
ing play Children of a Lesser God,
at the Arts Club Theatre until
April $.

PEMBE
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“My mind was focused on In-
dia,’ she said.

“But T thought this isa once ina
lifetime opportunity, and India
will always be there.”

Instead of working in
Bangladesh at an orphanage, Geidt

is playing the role of Lydia, a flir-
tatious teenager at a school for the
deaf,

ABLE TO SPEAK

The role required a deaf actress
who had the ability ¢o speak.

Bat Geidt said her character can
hear better than herself.

“When | auditioned they
weren’t too sure, because my voice
wasn't loud enough. But it’s not a
problem for me as long as some-

photo submitted

JULIETTE GEIDT of North Vancouver is seen here in rehearsal with actor Morris Panych. Geidt, who is
hearing impaired, has a role in Children of a Lesser God at the Arts Club Theatre, playing until April 5.

13 - Friday, Maren 14.4

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like blue
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PAGE 16

one reminds me to speak up,”’ she
said.

In one scene, where Lydia is not
facing the stage, the actress must
rely on an offstage prompter to tell
her when it is time to say her lines.

“One time she (the prompter)
forgot and I had to guess. I was
lucky I guessed right,"' she said.

RUBELLA VICTIM

Geidt, the youngest of four
children, was born severely deaf
after her mother contracted rubella
while pregnant. She is the only
deaf member in the family.

Unlike the majority of hearing
impaired persons, Geidt learned to
talk when she was four-years-old,
with her family’s encouragement.
And at the age of 11 she learned
sign language.

“In the hearing world a lot of
people talk fast and I’m amazed
how impatient many people are,”
she said. ‘I’m happy this play is
educating hearing people about the
deaf.”

Geidt first saw Children of a
Lesser God in New York, when she
was 17. She said after talking with

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the actors backstage she
remembered thinking how fun it
would be to have a part in the
play.

DANCE CAREER

At that time she was not con-
sidering an acting career. Instead,
she was making a name for herself
in the area of dance.

As a member of the Gallardet
Dance Company, which is
associated with a U.S. college for
the deaf, Geidt performed at the
White House. The company also
made other public performances
throughout the States.

Geidt was a psychology student
at Gallardet until 1984.

While a grade !2 student at Car-
son Graham Secondary Schoo} in
North Vancouver, Geidt .won a
best dancer award. And in 1980
she won two first place awards for
dancing and signing to music at the
National Cultural Competition for
the deaf,

Geidt continues to take dance
lessons and her talent in signing to
music was recently featured at a
conference for deaf educators.

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