DEAF BROADWAY
Jeanine Tesori & Brian Crawley’s Violet | IN ASL
March 20, 2026
IN RESIDENCE: March 1 – 20, 2026
Performed in American Sign Language (ASL) by a full Deaf Broadway cast and accompanied by the original Broadway cast album, Jeanine Tesori’s Violet tells the story of a young woman’s quest for beauty amidst the image-obsessed landscape of the 1960s. Facially disfigured in a childhood accident, Violet dreams of a miraculous transformation through the power of faith. Convinced that a televangelist in Oklahoma can heal her, she boards a Greyhound bus and starts the journey of a lifetime. Winner of the Drama Critics’ Circle Award, Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical, and nominated for a Tony, Violet features show-stopping anthems, ranging from American roots to folk to gospel, with a score from Tony-winning composer and Lincoln Center Visionary Artist Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by the acclaimed Brian Crawley. Deaf Broadway, synonymous with authentically Deaf musical theater, returns to Lincoln Center after their previous smash productions of RENT and Waitress: The Musical (pictured above). This remarkable company is guided by their overlying mission to provide unprecedented visual access to classic musical works of the American theater for those whose primary and native language is American Sign Language, creating a more equitable shared evening for hearing and Deaf audiences alike.
PERFORMANCE
Friday, March 20, 2026 at 7:30 pm
PRICE: FREE
At IRT: 154 Christopher st. NYC #3B (third floor) | Alice Tully Hall
ADA Accessible
PLEASE NOTE: All sales final and there is no late seating at IRT Theater.
VISIT/CONTACT US»
Cast & Creative Team
Empty heading
Jeanine Tesori Composer
Brian Crawley Book and Lyrics
CAST
Erin Rosenfeld Violet
Alona Jane Robbins Young Vi
Tyrone Giordano Father
Chris Corrigan Monty
Rayly Aquino Flick
Nikolya Sereda Ensemble
Nkiruka Akunwafor Ensemble
Mervin Primeaux-O’Bryant Ensemble
Samuel Langshteyn Ensemble
Brett Shaffer Ensemble
Frank L. Dattolo Ensemble
CREATIVE TEAM
Anne Tomasetti Director
Anne Tomasetti Co-Director of Artistic Sign Language
Joshua Castille Co-Director of Artistic Sign Language
B. Stewart Caswell Dynamic Captioning Design
Garrett Zuercher Dynamic Captioning Consultant
Monica Elwell Assistant to Mr. Caswell
B. Stewart Caswell Video & Sound Editor
Annie Wiegand Lighting Design
Nikolya Sereda Costume Coordinator
Jackson Torii Bart Dramaturgy
Joshua Castille Director of IMAG
Garrett Zuercher Production Manager
Annie Wiegand Assistant Production Manager
Ann Barkin Stage Manager
Averil Carr Assistant Stage Manager
Kimberly Hale Company Manager
Garrett Zuercher Artistic Director of Deaf Broadway
IRT Theater is a grassroots laboratory for independent theater and performance in New York City, providing space and support to a new generation of artists. Tucked away in the old Archive Building in Greenwich Village, IRT’s mission is to build a community of emerging and established artists by creating a home for the development and presentation of new work.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from New York State Council on the Arts and the New York State Legislature; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council; A.R.T./New York’s NYC Small Theatres Fund made possible with support from the Howard Gilman Foundation. Thank you to IndieSpace, and everyone who supports venues like ours in New York City.
ACCESS: IRT is a fully wheelchair-accessible facility. Please reach out to Kori Rushton if you have any accessibility questions or concerns, krushton@irttheater.org
PLEASE NOTE: All sales final and there is no late seating at IRT Theater.