Separated by geography and time-but tightly interwoven in theme and purpose-the production takes place May 7 on the UC Berkeley campus and May 14 in San Francisco. Native Land, Native Hands investigates and unfolds the historic oppression and racial injustice enacted toward Bay Area Deaf communities and communities of color in several performances. It asks, as it echoes and expands the familiar, “If a tree falls in the woods and no one sees it, does it make a sound” proverb with, “Deaf people have voices do you hear them?” Instead, the new dance work made by Hunter in collaboration with Epiphany Dance Theater and special artists, declares, “Don’t miss the land for the sculpture” (a transformative version of missing the forest for the trees). Antione Hunter’s site specific, world premiere production, Native Land, Native Hands, uproots and re-envisions the script on two well-known tree proverbs and slays the dragon that says to see the invisible-to see Deaf people-requires magic.
