SCENE: Outside Dorm building – Benny used to room up with Roger and Mark but after getting the job with Sorenson VRS (Video Relay Services - where Deaf people can call VRS to get an interpreter on the television screen to call hearing people) he has moved out. He is trying to convince them that they need a video relay system hooked up to their TV to communicate with hearing callers via a virtual interpreter on the screen. (Most deaf people prefer live one-on-one contact with interpreters rather than one via a TV screen). Sorenson VRS has been recruiting interpreters from educational settings so there is a crying need for more interpreters in schools and colleges and this is affecting the education of Deaf children and adults - hence Maureen's future protest against Sorenson).

ROGER

What happened to Benny

What happened to his heart

And the ideals he once pursued?

BENNY

And the worker of that place next door

Has a right to do with it as he pleases

ROGER

Happy birthday, Jesus!

BENNY

TV? (tv where?)

MARK

You're wasting your time

ROGER

We're deaf (Meaning that he is deaf and Mark is 'culturally deaf')

MARK

And you broke your word – this is absurd

BENNY

Welcome to the world of video relay

ROGER

I knew it!

BENNY

Next door, the home of Sorenson, you see

And now that block is re-zoned

My dream can become a reality

You'll see boys…

You'll see boys

A state of the art, digital, virtual

Video relay station

I'll set the TV and on paper guarantee

That you can keep it for free

If you do me one small favor

MARK

What?

BENNY

Convince Maureen to cancel her protest

MARK

Why not just get an injunction or call

The cops

BENNY

Yeah, I did, and they're on stand-by but

Investors would rather I handle this

quietly

ROGER

You can't quietly steal all the terps in the city

Than watch that "Signing Time" show on

TV! ("Signing Time" can be found on PBS on Mondays at 1pm, PST

BENNY

You want to call hearies and talk with them?

You need a way to do it!

It's what I used to dream about

Think twice before you pooh pooh it

You'll see boys

You'll see boys

You'll see – the beauty of VRS

That lets us do our work and get paid

With Terps in the box

Whose work keeps us in touch

Just the protest

And you'll have it made

You'll see – or you'll lose

Blackout, lights on to reveal the dorm room again

One Sign Glory

(Roger's lament to his parents, asking them why they chose not to sign with him – regret that his parents never learned to sign. His parents are hearing and they wanted Roger to live a normal life, and decided to raise him in the Oral-Cued Speech program, severing any ties with the Deaf community. Now that he's older and makes his own decicisons, he has enrolled in CSUN, a mainstream university of 30,000 which caters to 300 Deaf/HOH students and he has discovered that Deaf people do have a language of their own - sign language. He wants to know why he wasn't given the opporunity to communicate in ASL growing up.)

One sign. Glory. One sign.

Before I go, glory

One sign to keep with me

Say one sign, one signed word, glory

From parents of a deaf boy,

Who wasted opporunity

One sign, they had the sign on their hands

Glory

In the eyes of a young boy, a young boy

Show glory, under the bright kitchen lights

One sign, before the sun sets

Glory- for the boy's empty ears

Time flies – time dies

Glory – one blaze of glory

One blaze of glory

Say, glory, in a sign that shows true

Truth like a blazing fire, an eternal flame

Say one sign, a sign about love

Glory, from the hands of a parent

A parent

Show, the one sign

Before the parents forget, glory

Like a sunset

One sign

To redeem those lost years

Time flies

And then no need to endure anymore

Time dies

(Dorm room – Mimi rings the flashing doorbell and enters, carrying her broken Sidekick (Tmobile - don't own the rights) as an excuse to meet Roger. Both characters have a cochlear implant - Roger speaks to her while Mimi lipreads him and respond in Total Communication, exposing him to more sign language.)

Fix My Sidekick

ROGER

What da ya need?

MIMI

Sidekick's dead

ROGER

I know you – wait – how'd it die?

MIMI

It's not working I dropped it

And I'm a little clumsy on my feet

Would you fix my sidekick?

What are you staring at?

ROGER

Nothing, your ear with the C I…

You look familiar

Can you hear me?

MIMI

Just haven't worn it much today

At least my head stopped ringing

Anyway. What?

ROGER

Nothing, your smile reminded me of

MIMI

I always remind people of – who is she?

ROGER

Hearing. Her name was April

MIMI

Say it again…

Sorry about your friend

Would you fix my sidekick?

ROGER

Well

MIMI

Yeah. What?

ROGER

Oh, my speech – it's

MIMI

slipping – I hear it – a little

ROGER

Rusty, I figured…

Oh, well. Goodnight

It broke down again?

MIMI

No – I think I dropped my notebook

ROGER

I know I've seen you out and about

When I used to go out

Your sidekick's off

MIMI

I can't find – I had it when

I walked in the door

It was new - is it on the floor?

ROGER

The floor?

MIMI

They say I'm the only one

Below 14th street. Is it true?

ROGER

What?

MIMI

You're talking again.

ROGER

Oh no.

I mean you are – not the only -

I mean – you look familiar

MIMI

Like your hearing friend?

ROGER

Only when you smile

But I'm sure I've seen you

Somewhere else -

MIMI

Do you go to the O. C. Block?

That's where I go – I chat.

ROGER

Yes! They used to sign with you -

MIMI

To socialize

ROGER

I didn't recognize you,

Without the implant

MIMI

We could fix my sidekick

Oh won't you fix my sidekick?

ROGER

Why don't you forget that stuff?

You look like you're hearing

MIMI

I'm still deaf - but I'm on both sides

Born to hearing parents

ROGER

I once was born a hearing

I used to talk like that way

MIMI

I'm not oral – I told you

ROGER

I used to cue

MIMI

I use T C

ROGER

Uh huh

You're speaking right now

MIMI

But now and then I like to

ROGER

Uh huh

MIMI

Voice it…

ROGER

Oh, here it - um

MIMI

What's that?

ROGER

Remote controller

MIMI

We could fix my sidekick

Oh, what'd you do with my sidekick?

ROGER

The screen went all black

MIMI

Our eyes'll adjust, thank

God for the moon

ROGER

Maybe it's not the moon at all

I hear "Signing Time's" shooting down the

Street

MIMI

Whatever….whatever…

ROGER

Cold hands

MIMI

Yours too

Big. Like my father's

Do you wanna sign?

ROGER

English?

MIMI

No – in A S L

ROGER

I'm Roger

MIMI

They call me

They call me Mimi….

(Next chapter coming soon)