Terry Ruane
Encyclopedia
Terry Ruane is an English actor and director who became profoundly deaf as a result of meningitis at the age of five. Although educated in an oral school, he is also a sign language
user, and from 1974 he was the General Manager of the British Theatre of the Deaf under Pat Keysell
which was the first-ever professional company of deaf actors to tour Great Britain presenting plays in sign language. When Keysell resigned in 1976, Ruane went on to develop and tour his own company, Interim Theatre Company, which continued for some years and he is believed to be the first deaf person in the UK to co-direct a play, Hearing at Birmingham Repertory Theatre
in 1979.
In the early 1980s he had various projects occupying him in the United States, and was involved in setting up the London production of Children of a Lesser God
and later ran a Theatre in Education project using sign language for children in special schools. In 1984, he wrote and acted in the first of several BBC See Hear
Christmas specials during which time he also did a stint on the program as a reporter up to 1996. He has worked both as a lecturer and moderator on a course at Reading University which specializes in theatre arts using sign language. He now runs Theatresign, a company that supplies West End shows with sign language interpreters including his ex-wife Donna Ruane with whom he has three teenage children.
Sign language
A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
user, and from 1974 he was the General Manager of the British Theatre of the Deaf under Pat Keysell
Pat Keysell
Pat Keysell was a presenter of the BBC television series Vision On which ran from 1964 to 1976. She was also a mime artist and administrator.-Early life:...
which was the first-ever professional company of deaf actors to tour Great Britain presenting plays in sign language. When Keysell resigned in 1976, Ruane went on to develop and tour his own company, Interim Theatre Company, which continued for some years and he is believed to be the first deaf person in the UK to co-direct a play, Hearing at Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Birmingham Repertory Theatre is a theatre and theatre company based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England...
in 1979.
In the early 1980s he had various projects occupying him in the United States, and was involved in setting up the London production of Children of a Lesser God
Children of a Lesser God (play)
Children of a Lesser God is a play by Mark Medoff, published in 1980 focusing on the conflicted professional and romantic relationship between deaf former student, Sarah Norman, and her teacher, James Leeds. The play was specially written for the Deaf actress Phyllis Frelich, based to some extent...
and later ran a Theatre in Education project using sign language for children in special schools. In 1984, he wrote and acted in the first of several BBC See Hear
See Hear
See Hear is a weekly magazine programme for deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK, broadcast on Wednesday afternoons at 1pm. The programme focuses on the British and the worldwide deaf community and covers a broad range of topics from areas such as education, deaf people's rights, technology...
Christmas specials during which time he also did a stint on the program as a reporter up to 1996. He has worked both as a lecturer and moderator on a course at Reading University which specializes in theatre arts using sign language. He now runs Theatresign, a company that supplies West End shows with sign language interpreters including his ex-wife Donna Ruane with whom he has three teenage children.