People - Trix Bruce: ASL Storyteller

Seeing Trix Bruce:

It is not often that I get the opportunity to actually see the deaf and hard-of-hearing people that are profiled on About.com. I did have the opportunity to see Trix Bruce, an American Sign Language (ASL) performer and deaf culture educator, though. It was surprising to learn that she and I had both attended the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, New York, at the same time. It was also interesting to learn how she got her name and about her experiences growing up in a hearing family. Her manager, Amy Bakari, wrote this profile.

Her Work:

Patricia "Trix" Bruce is from Seattle, Washington. She is nationally known as both a workshop presenter and an ASL performer. Trix’s work has been warmly received everywhere from local community centers to state and regional conferences and conventions. She has even been received at the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf Inc. (RID) and Deaf Way II.

Growing Up:

Bruce has been profoundly deaf since she the age of six months old. Growing up, she attended an oral school along with a mainstream deaf class. "The Hearing World Around Me" [Guide Note: This is the performance that I saw] is about her life story, using a subtle touch of humor. Here she explains what it is like to be a deaf person among the hearing. She shares her most embarrassing moments, learning experiences, greatest challenges and growing sense of pride with her audience.

Performances:

Bruce has been involved in the performing arts since 1980. After completing her college program, she became involved with interpreting training. Her main area of study has been in ASL Linguistics, with a focus on ASL performance. She is an approved sponsor for the RID Certificate Maintenance Program and has developed the website TrixBruce.com. Trix is capable of communicating with all ASL-skill audience levels.

Teaching:

Through her performances, deaf and hearing audiences learn about the "deaf culture" in an entertaining way and somehow discover that the hearing and deaf communities have more in common than what is commonly thought. [Guide Note: Go to TrixBruce.com for DVDs of her performances.]