Deaf-Led Play TRASH Turns Roommate Conflict Into Sharp Portrait of Deaf Culture
Written by and starring Deaf artists James Caverly and Andrew Morrill, TRASH incorporates humor, conflict, and audience interaction to examine Deaf identity, access, and the difficulties of navigating hearing society.
Who takes out the trash?
Anyone who’s had roommates knows the weekly argument. TRASH follows two Deaf roommates in New York City as they debate who takes out the garbage. The play, written and performed by James Caverly and Andrew Morrill, expands this domestic conflict into larger themes: Deaf identity, access, discrimination, and the complex relationship Deaf people have with hearing society. “Andrew approached me and suggested we write something for JACK’s Radical Acts festival in 2021. We explored the idea of flipping the table—having our hearing audience experience what Deaf people go through daily… but make it ‘Theatre!’,” Caverly said.
Jake and Tim
The play opens as Jake refuses Tim’s request to take out the trash, not wanting to get dirty before his date. This simple dispute escalates, highlighting their different approaches to Deaf identity and to coping with the hearing world. Jake seeks to fit in; Tim mistrusts hearing institutions and carries experiences of audism. Their argument becomes a deeper clash over identity and belonging.
Using humor to explain discrimination
TRASH merges humor with a real view of Deaf life, like when Deaf characters are annoyed by their hearing neighbors banging on the ceiling. Beneath the jokes and arguments are questions about exclusion, language access, employment, and the compromises Deaf people make in hearing environments.
Morrill called the play a product of place and purpose. “Trash was the first piece I made after moving to New York City in 2021. I was encouraged to submit work to a Brooklyn festival supporting radical storytelling. I asked Joey to collaborate—we both knew how essential it is to stage Deaf stories by Deaf artists and for Deaf audiences. Out there, Deaf stories are sacred.”
Deaf-led storytelling to fight audism
“Nothing about us without us.” That’s a common phrase you hear in the disabled community, and it applies to the Deaf community as well. Incorrectly represented stories that cast hearing actors for Deaf roles, or stories written by hearing people with zero input from the Deaf community, often have stereotypes, bad signing, and overall incorrect information about Deaf people and Deaf culture. This further plays into ableism (discrimination against disabled people) or, more specifically, audism. Deaf people live and breathe deafness, ASL, and Deaf culture. There cannot be proper representation and storytelling without the people who actually are what the story is about, and that’s particularly what Trash gets right!
Created by and with Deaf people in mind
Emphasizing Deaf audiences, the production centers accessibility as a core element. TRASH is led in ASL, with captioned lines and sound effects, and incorporates the character Jukebox as an ASL-to-English interpreter within the play.
Accessibility for Deaf audiences
Cinema and live performance accessibility remains limited. Open caption screenings are rare outside large cities, and closed caption devices frequently malfunction. Although headsets and t-coils exist for live shows, they do not serve everyday ASL users as well as ASL interpreters, who, due to a nationwide shortage, are seldom available.
This is another reason TRASH stands out. Caverly and Morrill know from experience that lack of access means being left out, and they want everyone to be able to enjoy theatre, so they offer ASL, a voiceover, and captions! “Unpacking the layers of this piece has been the biggest challenge. Joey and I have spent a lot of time considering HOW to tell this story to non-signing audience members without sacrificing our artistic integrity,” Morrill says. “Making it accessible and engaging for both Deaf and hearing audiences [was one of the most challenging parts of the play]. But it warms us when we see both of our audiences join in the ride helmed by our characters,” Caverly adds.
An interactive play
To further involve the audience, TRASH takes a unique approach by including them in the play. The audience decides who ultimately takes out the trash at the end of the play. “We’ve worked on this for five long years. The moment we opened, I could finally stop worrying about the future and just live in the character’s head. The moments of connection with the audience have been my favorite part. This interactive portion of the show has always been something I’ve looked forward to when doing this show,” Caverly emphasizes.
Beyond entertainment
Asked what he hopes audiences take away from TRASH, Caverly says, “So many things. But the main takeaway is how much privilege they hold when they enter a space like ours. The show was designed by Deaf playwrights for Deaf audiences, but it is forced to address hearing audiences out of necessity. That kind of cultural hold hearing people have on us is frustrating and frightening as a playwright. This play is a way of de-culturizing ourselves while making it entertaining.” “I hope people realize that stories can be told and shared for everyone, regardless of culture or bias. It doesn’t matter whether a story is told in English or ASL, or whether Deaf or hearing—the story can still resonate because of the shared human experience.” Morrill adds.
TRASH closed on Saturday, March 28, 2026, with tickets sold out. Its run offered more than proof of public interest. It demonstrated that Deaf-led theatre isn’t something to ignore. Deaf culture and sign language are rich, and people want to know more about them. When Deaf stories are told accurately as TRASH did, it is a win-win for disabled and non-disabled people alike. While the disabled/Deaf audience finds community, the access they deserve, and a humorous reflection of their everyday barriers, a non-disabled audience can explore Deaf culture, learn about our unique perspective on the world, and become emotionally involved, creating opportunities for shared empathy and comprehension on both sides. In that sense, TRASH was more than a sold-out play—it served as an invitation to meet Deaf culture on its own terms, and to leave changed (hopefully for the better) by it.
Feature image: Andrew Morill and James Caverly star as Tim and Jake in TRASH. Photo Credit: Rebecca J. Michelson
