Larkin dancers to bring 'El Deafo' graphic novel to life onstage
Larkin High School's Visual and Performing Arts Academy will present a dancing adaptation of "El Deafo," a graphic novel written and illustrated by Cece Bell.
This "Bring a Book to Life" adaptation is described as a touching story about a little girl who loses her hearing due to illness, and the related emotions she encounters on her journey through grade school.
Performances are 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15; and 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, at the Larkin auditorium, 1475 Larkin Ave., Elgin. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults; for information, call (847) 888-5200, ext. 8420.
The 3 p.m. Saturday performance will include a sign-language interpreter.
About the book
"El Deafo" is a loosely autobiographical account of Bell's childhood and living with her deafness. However, the characters in the book are all bunnies. Bell, in an interview with Horn Book Magazine, stated, "What are bunnies known for? Big ears; excellent hearing," rendering her choice of characters and their deafness ironic.
Cece Bell required the assistance of a Phonic Ear hearing aid while she was growing up. While the hearing aid enables her to hear the world around her, it also distances her from some children her own age because she is seen as "different."
This causes both frustration and depression for Cece - she is desperate to find a true friend, but frequently feels that she has to accept poor treatment from others, being afraid of losing what few friends she has.
She deals with these feelings by treating her hearing aid as a superpower, as it gives her the ability to hear everything. For example, she hears private teacher conversations, as her teachers wear a tiny microphone that transmits sound to Cece's hearing aid; and not every teacher remembers to turn it off when they leave the classroom. She adopts the secret nickname "El Deafo."
As time passes, Cece grows more assertive and opens up to the people around her, especially when she meets a new friend who doesn't seem to care that she wears a hearing aid. She also grows comfortable in confronting people that treat her differently because of her deafness, finding that many of them are largely unaware that their actions cause her emotional harm.
Ultimately Cece opens up to her new friend and reveals her secret persona "El Deafo," much to the delight of her friend, who agrees to serve as her sidekick. As she gets older, she realizes that she no longer has to hide her "superpower" with others.