Deaf Smith Video

Dramatized video about Deaf Smith available on TAD website

 

On May 25, 1985 the Austin Association of the Deaf hosted the world premiere of the short two-act play called “Deaf Smith: the Great Texian Scout” at the Texas School for the Deaf.  The event was planned in conjunction with the centennial convention of Texas Association of the Deaf.  The historic play was produced by the students and staff of SWCID and Howard College, written by Stephen C. Baldwin, and directed by Timothy H. Haynes. 

 

In April of 2009, David H. Pierce of Davideo Productions in Seguin transferred the videotape to a digital movie for preservation reasons and loaned a special DVD to National Technical Institute for the Deaf for its deaf theatre collection.  Lights’ On company produced the play a few years later at Lexington School for the Deaf in Jackson Heights, New York.

 

With the 175^th celebration of the Texas Revolution in vogue, The Deaf Texas staff is proud to make the video available on the TAD website.  Although the taping, which took place in the auditorium of Howard College, is not exactly television quality, especially with one camera, the off-stage interpreting by Richard Fendrich and Cecilia McKenzie is par excellent.  Unfortunately, there are no open captions, but the stage signing by all deaf actors is good, dramatic and animated. 

 

Only the last three scenes of Act II are shown, lasting nine minutes and 30 seconds.  The first scene shows Deaf Smith, played skillfully by James Dees, entering the Mexican camp as an inebriated spy.  He also captures a Mexican courier with secret dispatches and brings him to General Sam Houston, played by Jeff Donnely.  Rodrigo Zapata plays the enemy General Cos with aplomb.  The Black actor is the only hearing person named Mike Walker who acted as the son-in-law of Smith named Hendrick Arnold.   Rest of the cast seen in the video is Haden Lambert as the Mexican courier and Luis Ducos playing soldiers of both armies.