Conversation with Willy Conley
Award-winning American photographer, playwright, actor and writer Willy Conley was our guest for the “Conversation With…” series this week. Mr. Conley’s varied career includes work as a biomedical and creative photographer, actor in both theatre and television, and over 30 years as a professor at Gallaudet University. He spoke about his life growing up profoundly deaf with two hearing parents in a time before the American with Disabilities Act where there were few accommodations to enhance the lives of the deaf.
Mr. Conley came at the invitation of Lyric Education Director and TCS seminar teacher Denise Gantt who had been both a classmate and colleague with Mr. Conley. The students have been reading Mr. Conley’s award winning play The water falls prior to the Conversation. His visit made the play come alive and develop a richer understanding in the students of what it means to have inclusion in the arts that allows for the full engagement of both the deaf and hearing communities.
All of the students are familiar with American Sign Language through the weekly ASL seminars in the school taught by Peggy Lashbrook and introduced themselves using their language skills. However, the Conversation was enhanced through the presence of two ASL interpreters – Anessa Hughes and Krystal Goodrich.
After the Conversation, the students toured Mr. Conley around the school and expressed our gratitude for his generous and open sharing with them.