Ayisha Knight-Shaw

EDUCATION  
University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, B.A. Theatre Arts, 1994 3.8 GPA, Regents Scholar  
Gallaudet University, Washington, DC, 1991 

 

 
CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS  
San Francisco Mime Troup, San Fransisco, CA Ed Holmes  
University of California:  
Acting Studio Danny Scheie  
Western Theater Arts Danny Scheie  
Intro to Studies Acting Greg Fritsch  
Gender and Performance Mary Gamel  
Shakespeare Mary Gamel  
History of the Theater Elaine Roos  
Hamlet Jim Bierman  
Production Management John Rathman  
Theater Technology John Rathman  
Costume Design Elaine Roos  
Gallaudet University:  
Stage Lighting Jeff Grandel  
Theater in Education Vicky Brown  
Deaf and Visual Media Jane Norman

 

  
THEATER COMPANIES  
Show of Hands Theater Company, Boston MA Acting/Board Member 2001-2009  
Germantown Stage, Germantown MD Acting 1996-1998  
Open Circle Theater, Germantown, MD Acting 1995-1997  
Arena Stage, Washington, DC Disability Access 1995  
Access Coalition Theater, Santa Cruz, CA Acting 1989-1993  

 

ROLES  
Poet "Hey Sistah, Welcome Home" Sept. 2004 
God "Godspell" April. 1997  
Anarchist "Scream" Dec. 1996  
Spirituality "Windchimes and Moonbeams" Oct. 1996  
Shank Bar Woman "This Show Bytes" Sept. 1996  
Slave "The Colored Museum" May. 1994  
Bald Woman "The Colored Museum" May. 1994  
LaLa Lamazing Grace "The Colored Museum" May. 1994  
Minister "Prelude to a Kiss" Dec. 1993  
Curly’s Wife "Of Mice and Men" July. 1992  
Wes "Solitaire" June. 1990

 

 
TECHNICAL WORK  
Assistant Director:  
Benefit, DEAF Inc., Boston Arts Acad., Boston, MA "Vagina Monologues" Jan. 2003  
American Sign Language Theatre Consultant:  
Wellesley Players Aladdin and Adora Feb. 2011  
Queer Soup We All Will Be Received Mar. 2010  
New Rep Theatre Company, Watertown, MA Othello Dec. 2008  
Harvard University "Slavs" Nov. 2005  
Theatre Offensive "The Kvetching Continues" Oct. 2005  
Wang Theater "Romeo and Juliet" July 1 2005  
Wang Theater "Hamlet" Aug. 2005  
Trinity Rep Theater, Providence, RI "Ain't Misbehavin" Oct. 2004  
Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, MA "Gem of the Ocean" Oct. 2004  
Wheelock Family Theatre, Boston, MA "Ramona Quimby" Nov.2004  
Theatre Offensive/Wheelock Family Theater, Boston, MA "Bel Canto" June. 2003  
Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, MA "Breath Boom" Mar. 2003  
Boston Arts Academy, Boston, MA "The Laramie Project" Nov.2002  
Wheelock Family Theatre, Boston, MA "Witch of Blackbird Pond" Nov.2002  
Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, MA "10 Unknowns" June. 2002  
New Rep Theatre Company, Newton, MA "A Lesson Before Dying" Feb. 2002  
Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, MA "Amen Corner" June. 2001  
Assistant Stage Manager:  
University of California, Santa Cruz, CA "Joe Turner" Dec. 1994  
University of California, Santa Cruz, CA "Our Country’s Good" June. 1993  
Lighting Technician:  
Gallaudet University, Washington, DC "The Miser" Nov. 1992 

 

 
TELEVISION/VIDEO WORK /RADIO  
Culture Coach International , September 2012 
Gore House Museum, ASL Multimedia Guide, July 2012 
Museum of Fine Arts Boston, ASL Multimedia Guide 2011 
Basic Black, WGBH Ch. 2, Boston, MA Interview with Robin Chandler     June 16,2005  
WUMB Commonwealth Journal Interview with Barbara Neely Dec. 4,2004  
HBO Def Poetry "Until"        Sept.19,2004  
It's Our Business, BNN Cable Access, Boston, MA Interview with Trina Jackson Oct.14,2003 
Urban Update, WHDH Ch. 7, Boston, MA Interview with Byron Barnett Oct.5, 2003  
Ayisha Knight, Cambridge, MA "Journey" (ASL video) in production CURRENT  
Phanai emPOWERment Records, Boston, MA "Until" (ASL/music video) Fall 2003  
Salem Access TV, Salem, MA "Artist Profile" Sept. 2000  
Deaf Inc., Boston, MA "Lets Talk About HIV" Feb.  1999  
University of California, Santa Cruz, CA "Not Quiet, Not Silent" June. 1993

 

  
LECTURES  
Inside the Outsider  
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL April. 2004  
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ Feb. 2004  
Curry College, Public Speaking Class, Milton, MA Nov. 2003  
Northeastern University, ASL Interpreting Practicum, Boston, MA Oct. 2003  
Boston Public Schools, Boston, MA April. 2003  
Northern Essex Community College, Boston, MA Mar. 2003  
Boston Public Library, Boston, MA June. 2001  
BlackOut, Piano Factory, Boston, MA June. 2001 
Passport to Cuba: A Deaf Woman's Journey  
Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg, MA April. 2003  
University of New Hampshire, Manchester, NH Feb. 2003  
College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA Jan. 2003  
Deaf Jews in America  
Jewish Signers of Massachusetts, Zatars, Brookline, MA April. 2001

 

  
PHOTOGRAPHY  
Java Joes, Jamaica Plain, MA Solo Exhibit July. 2009  
The Meeting Point, Jamaica Plain, MA Solo Exhibit Current  
Very Special Arts, Boston, MA Shared Exhibit Feb. 2004  
Mass. Commission for Deaf and HH, Worcester, MA Shared Exhibit Current  
Dorian’s Gallery, Provincetown, MA Shared Exhibit 2002-2003  
Disability Expo, Bayside Expo Ctr., Boston, MA Solo Exhibit Sept. 2002  
Kentucky Deafestival, Lexington, KY Shared Exhibit June. 2002  
Espresso Royale Café, Huntington Ave., Boston MA Solo Exhibit May. 2002  
Deaf Expo, Holiday Inn, Lynn, MA Shared Exhibit Sept. 2001  
Club Passim, Cambridge, MA Shared Exhibit Aug.  2001  
North Shore Career Center, Salem, MA Solo Exhibit July. 2001  
Front Street Café, Salem, MA Solo Exhibit April.  2001  
Cambridge Center for Adult Education, Cambridge, MA Solo Exhibit Nov.  2000  
Galant Gallery, Salem, MA Shared Exhibit Oct.   2000  
2 Dogs Working, Salem, MA Shared Exhibit Sept.  2000  
Salem Access TV Gallery, Salem, MA Solo Exhibit Sept.  2000 

 

 
POETRY PERFORMANCE  
Utah conference for Deaf survivors of domestic violence Shared Feature Oct. 22, 2010  
Lincoln Center Shared Feature Aug. 14, 2010  
Teatro Pregones Shared Feature Aug. 15, 2010  
La Mama, NYC Shared Feature Aug.26,2009  
Culture in Perpetual Motion Feature and Host June 5, 2009  
Northeastern University ASL Festival, Boston, MA Shared Feature April, 2009  
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI Feature Feb, 2009  
Arizona Poetry Festival, Tuscon, AZ Shared Feature March, 2008 
Influx Dance, Charlotte, VA Accompany Dance April, 2008  
Bowery Club Shared Feature May 1, 2005  
First Night Boston, Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA Shared Feature Dec. 2004  
Northeastern University, Boston, MA Shared Feature Sept. 2004  
Reflect and Strengthen, Milkyway, Jamaica Plain, MA Shared Feature June. 2004  
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL Shared Feature April. 2004  
St. Paul Baptist Church Shared Feature Feb. 2004  
Who's Next? Witness, Perpetrator, Survivor: Girls Say No to Violence Shared Feature Oct. 2003  
Freedom House, Dorchester, MA  
BlackOut, Piano Factory, Boston, MA Feature Sept. 2003  
Western Front, Cambridge, MA Ensemble Aug. 2003  
Michigan Women's Music Festival, Poets' Salon, Hart, MI Ensemble Aug. 2003  
Reflect and Strengthen, Milkyway, Jamaica Plain, MA Shared Feature July. 2003  
Project Think Different, CD Release, Paradise Lounge, Boston, MA Shared Feature May. 2003  
Guild Complex, Chicago, IL Ensemble April. 2003  
Funky Buddha, Chicago, IL Shared Feature April. 2003  
Green Mill, Chicago, IL Shared Feature April. 2003  
CD Fundraiser, Piano Factory, Boston, MA Shared Feature Feb. 2003  
BlackOut, Piano Factory, Boston, MA Ensemble 2000-2001  
Lizard Lounge, Cambridge, MA Shared Feature April. 2001  
Strand Theater, Dorchester, MA Ensemble April. 2001  
Nuyorican Poets Café, New York,NY Ensemble Aug. 2000

 

  
PUBLISHED WORK  
Knight, Ayisha.  "The Art and Power of Cross Cultural Communication,"  The Communicator, Vol.  , No.   
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf  
Knight, Ayisha.  "La Mujer,"  "Sista Queen,"  Ishmael Reed's KONCH Magazine. (Online Posting.)   
www.ishmaelreedpub.com/konch.html  
Knight, Ayisha.  "Royalty Revisited," "Pass It On," "Perspectives," ChickenBones: A Journal for Literary  
& Artistic African-American Themes. (Online Posting.) www.nathanielturner.com/index.html  
Knight, Ayisha."The Woman Who I Am," Train Go Sorry: Deaf Poets. (Online Posting.)  www.traingosorry.com 
Knight, Ayisha. "Royalty Revisited," Black Book News. (Online Posting.), Nov. 2002  
http://seaburn.com/blackbooknews/default.asp  
Knight, Ayisha. "Pass It On," Perspectives," "Royalty Revisited," "Dichotomy," Black Magnolias. Vol. 1, No. 3  
Winter 2002-2003. Jackson, MS:  Psychedelic Literature, 2002.  
Knight, Ayisha.  "The Art and Power of Cross Cultural Communication," Black Magnolias. Vol. 1, No. 3  
Winter 2002-2003. Jackson, MS:  Psychedelic Literature, 2002.  
Knight, Ayisha. "Until,"  Regeneration:  Telling Stories from our Twenties.  Jennifer Karlin, Amelia Borofsky (eds.),177.  
New York:  Jeremy P.Tarcher/Putnam, 2003  
Knight, Ayisha and Phan, Francis, "Until," Phanai Records/ emPOWERment Records, Boston, MA, 2003.  
Words by Ayisha Knight, music by Francis Phan.  
Knight, Ayisha, "Until," Big Boots.  Vol. 2, Spring '03.  Woodbridge, ON: Big Boots  
http://bigboots.shemadethis.com bigboots@riseup.net