Tickets on Sale for ASL and Spoken English ELEPHANT SHOES at Two River Theater
Elephant Shoes will be fully accessible to both deaf and hearing audiences and performed in American Sign Language, spoken english and open captioning.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jan. 07, 2026
Tickets are now on sale for Two River Theater's Elephant Shoes, a world premiere co-production with Deaf West Theatre, book by Ivan Menchell (Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), music and lyrics by Caroline Kay (Overnight, Daisy) and directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun (Newsies, Deaf West’s Big River), by special arrangement with Kevin Ryan, Diane Scott Carter & DJ Kurs. This new musical with a soaring contemporary score and an immersive blend of spoken English, American Sign Language (ASL), and groundbreaking stage technology that will ignite your senses and change the way you experience musical theater, will run in the Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater from June 4 through June 28, 2026.
Cy is on the verge of revolutionizing communication! His brilliant invention instantly translates spoken English into American Sign Language, and vice versa. But his breakthrough means nothing if he cannot connect with the one person he longs for — Roxy, a whip-smart coder, and an integral part of turning their tech dream into reality. As they work side by side, Cy finds himself falling in love, only to watch his Best Friend, Chris, sweep Roxy off her feet. A modern-day ‘Cyrano’ tale, Elephant Shoes asks: Can love transcend language or will it forever be lost in translation?
Elephant Shoes will be fully accessible to both deaf and hearing audiences and performed in American Sign Language, spoken english and open captioning.
"We are thrilled to partner with Two River Theater to premiere Elephant Shoes, a bold new musical led by a deaf hero set in a world that reflects our complex, interconnected reality,” says DJ Kurs, Artistic Director of Deaf West Theatre. “Comedy becomes a lens to examine our preconceptions, challenging audiences to see beyond preconceived boundaries. At its core, the piece is a powerful catalyst for human connection, exploring our fundamental desire to be understood in a landscape of ever-shifting communication and technology. With an extraordinary creative team at the helm, we can't wait to share this hilarious, thought-provoking story with beautiful music that illuminates our shared humanity.”
“Building a World Premiere Musical is the ultimate collaboration and to do so with this incredible team is a tremendous gift to Two River Theater,” says Justin Waldman, Artistic Director of Two River Theater. “It is a true honor to join forces with the renowned and venerable Deaf West Theatre to tell Ivan and Caroline’s stunning story, helmed by the Tony Award nominated director, Jeff Calhoun. Elephant Shoes’ combination of Sign language, music, laughs, and poignancy is utterly unique and continues Two River’s tradition of bringing people together for world class theatrical experiences right here in Red Bank, NJ.”
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