“Reflections of a Black Deaf Woman” to be presented on campus

Michelle Banks will present her one-woman show on April 26 at Wright State University.

Award-winning performing artist Michelle Banks will present her one-woman show Reflections of a Black Deaf Woman on April 26 at Wright State University.

The play explores the special bonding relationship between a deaf mother and her deaf daughter. Together, they overcome life’s hardships with drama and humor. The play is the first of its kind and was inspired by the real-life experiences of African American deaf women.

The play is performed in both American Sign Language (ASL) and spoken English. An interpreter will be present.

The event, presented by the School of Professional Psychology Diversity Inclusion Committee, will begin at 6 p.m. in 120 Medical Sciences. Admission is free and open to the public.

For more information, call (937) 775-4361 or email sopp_diversity@wright.edu.

About Michelle Banks:

A native of Washington, D.C., Banks is an award-winning actress, writer, director, producer and teacher. Her television appearances include the Showtime series Soul Food, UPN’s Girlfriends and Lifetime’s Strong Medicine. She starred in the movie Compensation, directed by Zeinabu Davis, and she can be seen in Hilari Scarl’s documentary about deaf entertainers, See What I’m Saying.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in drama studies from the State University of New York at Purchase, Banks founded Onyx Theatre Company in New York City, the first deaf theater company in the United States for people of color. Her work with Onyx for 11 years earned the Cultural Enrichment Award from Gallaudet University and the Distinguished Service Award from New York Deaf Theatre.