‘The MaryRobin Show’: Silly Syllabaries, Transfixing Translations, and More
Performing on the stage is one of the oldest and most universal forms of expression—or rather—it tries to be. But so much theatre is dependent on language, and theatres globally have been attempting to tear down this language barrier for years. Canada has made some great strides in the past with the Canadian Opera Company introducing Surtitles in 1983, but reading words far above the action of a piece hardly feels like an ideal permanent solution. In Kingston that desire to close the gap comes in the form of Deaf Spirit Theatre (DST): a local collective which has been working for years to bring engaging work in American Sign Language (ASL) to audiences of all backgrounds.
After workshopping the piece earlier this summer in the Festival of Live Digital Art, DST’s The MaryRobin Show returns to Kingston as part of TK Fringe. This ASL sketch-comedy show features Elizabeth Morris as Mary and Haley Hudson as Robin performing in a variety of mediums, genres, and styles both as a duo and individually.
The stage when I entered was empty, just the curtains at the sides and a screen acting as the back wall. I was the first to enter the audience aside from two ASL interpreters (Carmelle Cachero and Amanda Hyde) armed with microphones who provided English translations and unnecessary sound effects. For example, one sketch sees Mary flying to different parts of the world and interacting with weather and wildlife in those areas, using ASL and mime to create the animals native to those places. Meanwhile, the interpreters awkwardly made the creatures’ sound effects into the microphone. The sounds were clearly unrehearsed, and seemed to detract from the wonder Morris was trying to create on stage with how bland and incomprehensible they sounded. Perhaps it is a credit to Morris that her silent acting of an elephant read better than the interpreters’ attempt at the creature’s distinct trumpet.
The show explodes to life with a theme song sequence projected against the back screen. In the show’s description for the festival the performers note some of their inspirations to be Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, and Laverne & Shirley, and this is never more evident than during the theme song. The visuals and action are reminiscent of the stars and sitcom, and the music playing during the sequence is “Making Our Dreams Come True” by Cyndi Grecco—the very same song and recording used for the theme of Laverne & Shirley.
The show that follows features a vast array of sketches to dig into, but to avoid spoiling too much of the performance I’ll just mention my favourite two. The opening sketch sees both Mary and Robin on stage painting a house. The mundane task is made both entertaining and educational by the performers going through the entire ASL alphabet and using said letters to mime different objects, creatures, and actions which further the scene along. It feels like something that could fit in comfortably with Sesame Street in that it teaches something new while also aiming to entertain a variety of ages and backgrounds.
The other sketch that has stuck with me is due to my love for Shakespeare; Hudson performs an ASL translation of the legendary “Ages of Man” (or “All the world’s a stage”) speech from As You Like It by William Shakespeare. The natural rhythm of the bard’s words aligns so beautifully with the movement-based language in Hudson’s eerily touching translation.
The MaryRobin Show is one-of-a-kind and is pushing the boundaries of the traditional theatre Kingston is accustomed to. Some of its sketches manage to elicit some chuckles, some are moving, some are beautiful, and one or two just miss the mark. Some portions being better than others is to be expected of all sketch-based shows though. In diversifying your content you are more likely to have something to offer everyone, but essentially guarantee to fall short in a few segments. But go for the unique experience, you’ll find at least one sketch that was written just for you.
‘The MaryRobin Show’ produced by Deaf Spirit Theatre plays until August 17, 2025 at the Davies Lounge in the TK Fringe as part of The Kick & Push Festival. More information about the festival can be found here.
