Randy Rutherford's performance in Singing at the Edge of the World set my own heart singing!
This is the story of one man's journey into hearing loss, authentic in its depiction of solitude and despair, yet soaring to the heights of soulfulness and hope... interspersed with moments of utter hilarity!
It is a powerful and brilliant depiction not just of hearing loss, but of the human condition. Randy reaches out and touches your heart and soul.
Carole Willans
National President
Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA)
We were privileged to be in the audience when Randy Rutherford performed at the CHHA national conference in May 2009. Randy �ruled� his audience for 75 minutes. He's funny, moving and very entertaining - an extremely engaging storyteller and musician.
There were many excellent presentations at the conference, but long after facts and figures have fled their brains, Randy�s audience will recall and repeat his wonderfully-delivered story.
He would be an asset to any meeting.
Richard H. Meyer
Past president,
Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)
I recently had the privilege of watching Randy Rutherford at the ALDA national conference. Randy is a maverick, entertaining and an inspiration
to us all.
T. Alan Hurwitz, Ed.D.
President, National Technical Institute for the Deaf
Vice President and Dean,
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester New York
Randy Rutherford's play is a joy, moving the audience often
between laughter and tears. For those interested in critical cultural inquiry,
such as Disability Studies, Sociology or Narrative inquiry of any form, Rutherford's play
offers
a unique journey
that resists all stereotypes. I came to experience deafness in many new ways. He casts new light on both loss
and rebuilding in a multi-layered narrative that is an absolute pleasure to witness.
Rutherford is a storyteller we need right now.
Tanya Titchkosky, Ph.D
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education,
University of Toronto
I strongly recommend this
show to the Centre for Students with
Disabilities (CSD) for the Disability Awareness Week activities - great
for students as well as University professors and
support staff.
The artist tells part of the
story of his life, which
is progressively being sculpted by a hearing loss. He enacts
conversations with people from his entourage,
sings and plays the guitar - all this with a severe hearing
loss but perfect notes. This is done in a touching, holistic
way with
much humor. Bravo! Bravo!
Marie-Claude Rouleau
Acting Coordinator,
Academic Support & Learning / Access Service (SASS)
University of Ottawa
"
... incredibly powerful, humorous
... has a strong message that everyone
should be exposed to. ..."
Michelle Castaneda,
Director, AccessAbility, University of Toronto
www.scar.utoronto.ca/~ability/
Singing
At The Edge Of The World is
one of the most memorable
journeys into the human spirit that one can take.
This
journey made me laugh and cry. At times it made me feel
humbled and at times I felt
inspired. Most of all, I felt a connection and understanding
that
I have never felt before during a live performance.
Anyone
who
attends this intimate insight into the joys, the
disappointments, the
heartbreak, the humour and the strength of faith and renewal
will come
away from the experience a different person.
Who should attend this performance? Everyone -
teachers,
students, parents, children, professionals, musicians and anyone who
cares about dignity respect and difference.
Kaye
Leslie
Manager, Workforce Diversity - Scotiabank.
Co-chair, FICCDAT international conferences on Caregiving,
Disability, Aging and Technology.
Lecturer, Ryerson University
"Phenomenal ... Exactly what we need for our conference."
Miguel Aguayo, M.S.W.,
R.S.W.
Author, Deafened People: Adjustment and Support
Former Chair, Ontario Chapter of Canadian Hard of Hearing Association
I saw this performance at the Fringe and was deeply
affected. I have known many people with chronic
health
problems or disabilities
- what is extraordinary about this performance is his ability to reach
down and communicate the depth of what it was like for him to lose his
hearing, to infuse that with deeply felt humour and pain, and to move
through to
his ultimately successful struggle to build a new productive life.
This is
one
of those rare theatrical events that has the ability to transform people,
and I recommend it highly.
Jill Weiss
• Former President, BC
Coalition of People with Disabilities (6 years)
• YWCA Woman of Distinction
• Executive Director, Self-Help
Handicapped Society (1980-1985)
At our faculty
we educate Speech Language Pathologists
(many of whom work with people who become deafened or hard of hearing).
I would be interested in talking with Randy. I
really really enjoyed this show. I did say hello to him after
the show,
but I am sure that I was just one of the crowd.
Penny Parnes
Director, International
Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation
University of Toronto
www.icdr.utoronto.ca
Ottawa. June 28, 2008
Randy, I spoke to you briefly last night. My wife
Joyce who now has a
C. Implant [...]. Despite both of us having some hearing loss, we could
hear you very well.
Your performance of "Singing
At the Edge of the World" was
a remarkably moving,
insightful, honest exploration and presentation of the devastating
effects of hearing loss. It was much more however, by showing how we
still have "life
after deaf" and how we can achieve that ("keep shining"). The
performance was remarkable also in that
at no time did you
ever lapse
into sentimentality but were completely honest with the audience and
yourself, openly acknowledging your own fear, anger, and isolation, as
well as your successful efforts to deal with them. Your own humour and
that in your other characters ( what a bunch ) enabled an ease of
tension - the timbre of your voice and the guitar were beautiful.
Thank you Randy.
[...]
Frank
Martin
M.S.W.
Director, Social Planning Council Ottawa (Ret.)