Robert DeMayo

Robert DeMayo
DeMayo (left) with TL Forsberg

Robert DeMayo is a deaf American actor, educator, and ASL translator.[1] He is one of the subjects of See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary (2009) who the New York Times called "staggeringly talented."[2][3] He has also acted in the films Universal Signs (2008) and No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie (2013).

DeMayo met Hilari Scarl when he was working at the National Theatre of the Deaf which led to his being cast in See What I'm Saying.[4] He created a one-man comedy show about his life called Me Hear NONE which he performed at Philadelphia's Independence Starts Here festival in 2007 and then toured with.[5] He has worked as an ASL consultant and as a theater interpreter at Juilliard.[6]

In 2014 he was cast as the lead role in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde at the New York Deaf Theater.[7]

DeMayo has created a 30-episode 10-DVD educational series of videos about sign language and deaf culture called Sign With Robert created for classroom use. In 2017 he worked with Giphy to create a series of 2,000 animated GIFs of him performing ASL words and phrases to help others learn sign language.[8] The GIFs have been viewed 2.4 billion times as of February 2022.[9]

Personal life

DeMayo was born in Connecticut and currently lives in Pennsylvania. He has been deaf since birth and is a graduate of the American School for the Deaf in West Hartford.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Sign With Robert". Sign With Robert. 2022-02-20. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  2. ^ "Home". See What I'm Saying. 2010-04-09. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  3. ^ Catsoulis, Jeannette (2010-04-09). "Deaf, and Trying to Make It in Showbiz". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  4. ^ Walla, Clair (2010-03-14). "Breaking the Sound Barrier: 'See What I'm Saying' Celebrates Deaf Entertainers". International Documentary Association. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  5. ^ Siriwardane, Venuri (October 19, 2007). "Art Without Barriers". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  6. ^ Rodriguez, Briana. "N.Y. Deaf Theatre's Robert DeMayo's Prep Process". Backstage. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  7. ^ Zinoman, Jeff (2014-11-13). "New York Deaf Theater Adapts 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  8. ^ Dupere, Katie (2021-10-29). "Giphy launches library of more than 2,000 GIFs to teach you sign language". Mashable. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  9. ^ DeMayo, Robert. "Sign with Robert". Giphy. Retrieved 20 February 2022.