RETURN TO MAIN

Teal Sherer is an actress, producer and activist for performers with disabilities.  Her first Hollywood acting job was the Emmy Award winning film WARM SPRINGS, where she also served as an advisor to the lead actor, Kenneth Branagh.  Teal has starred in several commercials, most notably the national LIBERTY MUTUAL election commercial.  Currently, Teal recurs on the hit, award- winning web-series, THE GUILD, playing a villain named Venom. Teal, who has a great passion for theatre, has performed on stage with Dustin Hoffman, Annette Bening, James Cromwell, Rosario Dawson and Richard Schiff.  Earlier this year, she starred in the Pulitzer Prize winning play PROOF, in which she received rave reviews.  Most recently Teal co-starred in OUT OF SILENCE: THE AFGHAN WOMEN’S WRITING PROJECT at The Museum of Tolerance.  Teal has produced four plays in Los Angeles, three of which included the talents of performers with disabilities.  In addition to acting and producing, Teal teaches dance and drama classes to kids with autism.  She also serves on the SAG Performers with Disabilities Committee.  For more info on Teal, check out www.tealsherer.com.

Douglas Ridloff began his life in Queens, New York. After graduating from Gallaudet University, Douglas went on to get a MA in Deaf Education. In Manhattan, Douglas began a partnership and co-produced ASL in the Raw, a successful show that capitalized on working “blue.” ASL in the Raw ran for three years and was noted in New York’s Time Out Magazine twice. His ASL work has proved award-worthy, winning national competitions such as ASL Live! and Deaf Idol. Douglas has defined himself by doing a mixture of improv, stand up comedy, stylized ASL genres, and short films.  While Douglas performs solo nationally, he is exploring the world of cinema as an artist, an actor, an educator and a filmmaker.  Douglas’ self-directed and self-produced short film ASL KO is currently in post-production.  Douglas shares his expertise as a teacher of ASL and Digital Media at PS047 – The American Sign Language and English Secondary School in New York City. You can read more about him at http://douglasridloff.blogspot.com.

Marco Aiello is the type of artist that can't be defined. Still, whether he is singing commercial jingles like the "Hello Good Buy" Beatles cover for the immensely successful Target campaign, recording, singing and touring with his own original music, portraying drug dealers or serial killers for dramatic television shows such as "Criminal Minds" or portraying hilarious characters like "Festus" for the Nickelodeon hit comedy "Victorious" - you can't help but notice the thread that connects all his work: an authentic presence and voice. He thinks of himself as a student of the arts and strives to be a great artist - like those who came before who practiced being formless and available to be moved by the mysterious creative intelligence that exists within every human being.

Sandrine is an artist who creates using nature as her canvas. An artist her whole life, she is creative, independent, practical, compassionate, stubborn, and self-critical. When Sandrine was 27, while returning from a road trip with friends, she was in a car accident. She was the only one who emerged with significant injuries, fracturing her spinal cord. Her sense of independence was shattered when she was in the accident. She moved back home with her parents, who treated her as if she were a delicate child in the beginning stages of her injury. Because she has been so fiercely independent most of her life, she struggles with the reality of her disability.
Sal is an intelligent, perceptive, charismatic, and proud musician. He was born deaf as the only child of hearing parents who were musicians. Refusing to be defeated by his hearing loss, Sal’s family raised him as oral in the mainstream and surrounded him with music. Sal’s father taught him how to play percussion and pushed him to be the best musician that he could be. It was in college that Sal discovered ASL and began to use it as his main language. For many years, Sal poured everything into his music. He struggles to have the right attitude—he expects everyone to immediately accommodate him, and if they do not, he does not bother with them. He wants to grow but does not know how because he believes that no one will help him.
Italian-born, charismatic, and intense, Gabe is a talented musician and the best friend of Sal. He and Sal were roommates and music majors in college, and they have performed together off and on for the past eight years. They are like brothers; Sal is an only child and Gabe is the only one in his family who lives in the United States. He is good at learning other languages, though he does not know ASL. Sal and Gabe were patient with each other in college, which helped Gabe to develop his English language skills, and Sal to have a person who was patient with him when speaking. Gabe has been learning new material but Sal is still stuck playing the same beats.