Sign With Robert Sign Language Deaf Culture Series

Robert DeMayo is a Deaf actor, educator and consultant who has been teaching sign language for over 30 years. ASL is Robert's first language and is a native signer. Hilari Scarl is a writer/director/producer/consultant who has been bridging the gap between Hollywood and the Deaf community for over 25 years. She toured with Robert with the National Theater of the Deaf (NTD) and directed him in the award-winning film SEE WHAT I'M SAYING: THE DEAF ENTERTAINERS DOCUMENTARY.

SIGN WITH ROBERT believes learning should be fun! With over 15-hours of video content, students learn ASL vocabulary, lessons about Deaf culture, practice receptive skills, play games and more. There is a Teacher Study Guide PDF with lots of ideas, guidance and tips.

Dr. Aaron W. Kelstone Program Director, NTID Performing Arts “I have had the good fortune to view SIGN WITH ROBERT with Robert DeMayo. The production quality of the videos is very high and Robert is an outstanding performer and a very skilled ASL artist. It has been a while since anything like this has been produced that provides contemporary examples of ASL. There are many aspects of the production that will be useful for classroom, workshop, individual, and presentation purposes. Robert’s participation in this project lends a high level of credibility to the work. I find the broad range of topics provided in the collection beneficial to many different people who may have an interest in ASL, Deaf culture, and the history of Deaf people.”

Robert DeMayo, the series star, is a professional educator, actor and entertainer who has been Deaf since birth. He is a graduate of the American School for the Deaf in West Hartford and has toured professionally with the National Theater of the Deaf, Sunshine Too and Cleveland Sign Stage Theater. He has served as an ASL translator for Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and the artistic director for New York Deaf Theatre. His film credits include Universal Signs, No Ordinary Hero and See What I’m Saying. He performed live for the closing ceremonies at the Perspektiva Film Festival in Moscow and appeared in dozens of Q&A’s with the film around the world.

Hilari Scarl is an award-winning director/producer who was chosen by Steven Spielberg out of 12,000 filmmakers to appear his television show On The Lot. Her multi-award winning feature See What I’m Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary received Critics’ Pick in the New York Times and screened in 800 cities in 21 countries. Hilari produced the award-winning dramatic feature No Ordinary Hero and TV shows for the History Channel, Court TV and CBS. Hilari’s theater background includes touring with the National Theater of the Deaf where she met Robert DeMayo. He inspired her to create more opportunities for Deaf actors, and ignited her passion to open doors for Deaf actors and actors with disabilities in theater, film and television.