[Image Description: Changer (played by G. Christian Vasquez) and Coyote (played by Roberto Sandoval), two indigenous people, walking on a forest path full of greenery. Changer is wearing a cedar hat, a red tunic, and a long beaded necklace. Coyote is wearing a brown top hat, a brown vest, a plaid shirt, and a bolo tie. Coyote is signing “huckleberry pie” inASL, as Changer watches. Over the photos are festival laurels for Seattle Deaf Film Festival and Latino & Native American Film Festival.]
In the Fall of 2021,
Sound Theatre Company and the Changer team headed out to Lower Elwha S’Klallam Tribal land. Four days of filming and a whole bunch of learning later, we ended up with the footage that would eventually become a film. We are now thrilled to announce that Changer: A Hand Telling has been accepted to its first film festivals!
Our first festival acceptance was Seattle Deaf Film Festival produced by our friends at Deaf Spotlight. We were then accepted by Latino & Native American Film Festival. And since starting this draft, we were accepted by one more, the internationally-acclaimed, longest running disability film festival in the world, Superfest International Disability Film Festival.
[Image Description: Sonny (played by G. Christian Vasquez) and Johnny (played by Roberto Sandoval) sitting on the beach. They are an indigenous grandfather and grandchild. Sonny is dressed in clamming clothes, while Johnny is wearing casual clothes. They both look to the left. Sonny points off camera, and Johnny frowns. Over the photo is a festival laurels for Superfest International Disability Film Festival.]
Making a Film as a Theatre Company
Changer: A Hand Telling was Sound Theatre’s first feature film. And filmed during the pandemic no less. It wouldn’t have been possible without an amazing team at the helm.
Howie Seago facilitated the project from the director’s seat. Dr. Melanie McKay-Cody (Cherokee) oversaw the artistic sign language and acted as native cultural consultant. Kyle Seago and Raven Two Feathers (Cherokee, Seneca, Cayuga, Comanche) lead visual storytelling as co-cinematographers.
On screen were the effervescent G Christian Vasquez (El Salvador) and Roberto Sandoval.
Rounding out the team, we have Doris Black on costumes, John R. Huddlestun as ASL interpreter liaison, Jessamyn Bateman-Iino and Grecia Leal Pardo were stage managers. On the staff side were Artistic Director Teresa Thuman and production team Rosemary Lisa Jones and Alyda Sorm.
Last and certainly not least, we were joined by the original adapters Fern Naomi Renville (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Omaha, Seneca-Cayuga) and Roger Fernandes (Lower Elwha S’Klallam). Without them, this production in its many forms would not exist today.
Available to watch now
We highly encourage you to follow and support Changer: A Hand Telling at all the film festivals it screens at. If you would like to stream it now, tickets are available on the Changer webpage.
[Image Description: group photo of all the people who worked on the Changer: A Hand Telling film. They gather in a light clump in front of blue skies and the blue Salish Sea.]