"People pay for silence, mine is free": The stand-up that doesn't need a voice

A feature on a stand-up comedy workshop for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals at the 'Nalaga'at' Theater, where participants turn daily frustrations from encounters with the hearing world into punchlines. Participants, including Eitan Shitrit and Arava Avnon, work with stand-up comedian Ben Perry on refining humorous pieces to be performed in the show 'Laughing with Hands' in sign language.

A profile piece from Maariv about a unique stand-up comedy workshop for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals held at the 'Nalaga'at' Theater. Participants, including Eitan Shitrit and Arava Avnon, work with stand-up comedian Ben Perry on turning daily frustrations from dealing with the hearing world into punchlines. Shitrit, who is also a lecturer, explains that the real disability is the environment, not deafness, and uses humor to criticize the lack of accessibility in Israel. Avnon, a teacher by profession, brings anecdotes from her life and is careful not to use her children as interpreters. The planned show, 'Laughing with Hands', will be performed in sign language with translation for the hearing audience. The article presents humor as a coping mechanism and a tool to bridge the gap between the deaf community and hearing society.