Wann, 45, is a CODA (children of deaf adults) interpreter and caters to all hearing, deaf, and hard-of-hearing audiences. He also spends a lot of time traveling across the country teaching workshops and even interpreting on Broadway.
Over the past 10 years, he has been dubbed as America’s funniest ASL comedian while continuing to bridge misconceptions and cultural gaps between the deaf and hearing worlds.
“We strive to raise awareness about ASL through comedy,” Wann said, “and we also believe in fully supporting the ASL community while offering ASL entertainment and learning.”
Wann spent nearly an hour and a half talking and interacting with the Deaf Ed students on Thursday. Also, at the conclusion of the assembly, he answered various questions from the audience and even posed with students in numerous photo opportunities.
“We were very lucky to have a person such as Keith’s caliber to come talk to our students,” Brazos River Regional Day School for the Deaf Coordinator Angela Belding said. “He’s not just a storyteller, but he actually brings the stories to life.”
Wann is also a stand-up comedian and will be performing his ASL Comedy Tour 2014 Friday at the Tarrant County College - Trinity River Campus in Fort Worth. His visit to Wright Elementary was made possible through an interpreter friend at no cost to the District.
Tickets for Friday’s performance may be purchased online at www.keithwann.com for a reduced cost, or at the door Friday beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Wann also has over 250 videos on published on YouTube, but he warned that although some are catered for children, most are geared for adults-only audiences.
ASL comedian and interpreter Keith Wann interacts with Wright PreK student Erin Metzing in Thursday's special assembly in the Wright Elementary Cafeteria (photo by DERIK MOORE).
Additional photos of the assembly may be found by clicking on the link below.