Signing For Dummies (38 page)

Going to the theater

Attending plays is always a great way to improve your Signing skills — especially if the actors also sign. Many live-performance plays provide an interpreter, so Deaf people are able to attend and enjoy plays along with hearing folks.

In this section, we show you a few of the more well-known theatrical terms that you may want to know, starting with the ones in Table 7-4.

Light bulb
is signed with a
flick,
using your index finger and thumb under your chin, and then mimicking the action of screwing in or taking out a light bulb. You can sign light and mimic as to shining a spotlight or a flashlight.
Stage
doesn’t allow the passive hand to move, only the active one outward.

English:
When the lights go out, stop talking.

Sign:
LIGHTS OUT — TALKING STOP

English:
During intermission, I’m leaving.

Sign:
DURING INTERMISSION — LEAVE ME

Going to the museum

Visiting a museum is quite an experience, and one that many Deaf people can appreciate as easily as the hearing world. You don’t have to be able to hear to enjoy all the wonderful things that are included in museums. However, being able to discuss what you see is nice.

Use the Signs in Table 7-5 when you go back in time for a few hours.

Museum
is signed like house only you use the manual
M
on both hands. Signing about time periods is done by signing the manual
T
in a circular motion with your active hand on your passive hand. This means
time
or
era.

Table 7-6 shows how to describe some of the things you might see inside a museum.

Here are some Signs that have similar hand shapes and meanings.
Photograph
and
picture
are signed the same; add
painting
to this when it’s used as a noun.
Photography
is signed by mimicking taking a picture. Make sure that you give it a double click because a single click means to take a picture.
Paint
is signed with the active hand,
painting
with the passive hand (use four fingers).
Sculpture
and
sculpt
are very similar: Sign
sculpture
with the manual
A
on both hands — twist them while simultaneously going downward.
Sculpt
is made with an
A
handshape also. Mimic as if you’re putting your thumbs in it and making something while going downward.

English:
The museum is open.

Sign:
MUSEUM — OPEN

English:
The picture is old.

Sign:
PICTURE — OLD