To celebrate its 35th anniversary, the New York Deaf Theatre is putting on a production of the classic “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” and actor Robert DeMayo has been cast as the show’s titular characters.
DeMayo, who was born deaf, has acted as an American Sign Language (ASL) consultant as well as taught as a drama educator of non-verbal body movement at Playwright Horizons and as a theater interpreter at Juilliard. He says he knew he wanted to be an actor from a very young age. “[I was] about 5 or 6,” he recalls. “After watching Charlie Chaplin, ‘I Love Lucy,’ Buster Keaton, and a few other classic black and white movies; my passion really stemmed from those films.”
The new adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale—about the scientist Henry Jekyll and his struggle to deal with the consequences of a formula he created that turns him into the animalistic Edward Hyde—will be told in ASL and spoken English to accommodate deaf and hearing audiences.
Backstage spoke with DeMayo via email to learn more about his role in the show that “with a diverse deaf, ASL fluent, and hearing voice cast, emulates the very nature of duality the play examines,” according to the production’s website, and his experience as a deaf actor.
On how he prepared to play the iconic role(s) of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
After sending his audition in via tape, DeMayo was cast as the production’s lead and drew from an unlikely source to capture the character’s animalistic tendencies.
“I know this may sound silly but ‘Planet of the Apes’ series was my inspiration for the role of Mr. Hyde,” the actor says. “All of the monkeys went back to their primal instinct when they saw a human being. I feel like them when I become Mr. Hyde, where I experienced betrayal from a few of the characters. Moreover, being Dr. Jekyll is completely opposite from Hyde. It took me some time to develop specific signing styles for both characters.”
On the challenges of working in deaf theater.
DeMayo says getting this type of show off the ground requires an incredible amount of teamwork from both the voice and the ASL actors, but despite the demanding process, it’s a successful dynamic he feels audiences will see on the stage.
“For the show, the voice actor will need to follow me simultaneously, with the right timing and tone,” he explains. “Additionally, when an English speaking actor, who becomes the voice for my character, has no experience with ASL or work with deaf actors, it becomes quite challenging.”
On being an actor in New York City.
While DeMayo caters to a niche sector of New York theater, he says his experiences working in the arts is the same as any other actor. “In the past there is no problem getting the job acting on stage,” he says. “The arts itself has suffered great cuts and become more difficult for me to get a job as an actor. I just got lucky and very fortunate to be part of this production.”
“The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” runs now through Nov. 16 at the June Havoc Theatre in New York City.
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