New York Deaf Theatre’s ASL Musical

Meat Expectations

 

January 10 2026

ASL Creative

IN RESIDENCE: January 3 – 10, 2026

The play is set in Deaf Utopia, a meat-packing factory owned and run by a Deaf family for four generations. All employees are Deaf, and sign language is the primary mode of communication. The workplace is idyllic until a new CEO, eager to modernize, introduces unfamiliar technology — leading to conflict, humor, and a moral fable about inheritance, community, and trust.

PERFORMANCE
January 10, 2026
PRICE: FREE
At IRT: 154 Christopher st. NYC #3B (third floor)
ADA Accessible
PLEASE NOTE: All sales final and there is no late seating at IRT Theater.
VISIT/CONTACT US»

Meat Expectations is a groundbreaking musical created entirely in American Sign Language (ASL) from the ground up, developed by New York Deaf Theatre (NYDT) as part of ASL Creative.

LED BY MOMO HOLT, SETH GORE, & JW GUIDO.

honoring the foundational work of the late Lewis Merkin alongside Christina Marie Cogswell, Joey Caverly, and Annie Weigand

This process is rooted in trust, collaboration and joy!

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.