8 / 10
On the surface, it’s a play about trash, but it’s really about the emotional baggage the characters carry: past scars, dating secrets, questions of identity, and feelings about what it means to be Deaf in a hearing world. It’s an experience meant for participating in, so cast your vote and witness something entirely new.
7 / 10
“Trash” has a plot with several strands, a number of surprises and a couple of meta-theatrical touches, involving all five cast members; much of what unfolds is determined by the audience voting (via the red/yellow cards) at crucial crossroads. It’s a lot to take in; maybe too much. That may be the point; the message that Caverly and Morrill most want to make: Look how much the Deaf have to deal with. If “Trash” is eye-opening for hearing audiences, it is also likely one of the few entertainments that Deaf people can enjoy without compromise. Captions are provided whenever the hearing characters speak in English. Even the music and the sound effects are captioned.
What did critics think of the play TRASH, now running Off-Broadway at PAC NYC that is primarily performed in American Sign Language, which opened March 13.
The complete cast and creative team has been revealed for the upcoming production of Trash at Perelman Performing Arts Center. Tim and Jake are Deaf roommates sharing an apartment in the city—but not much else.
