Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Mary Schaefer.
Hi Michelle Mary, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m an Actor, Screenwriter, Playwright, Director, Producer, Director of Artistic Sign Language (DASL), Deaf Culture Consultant in Theatre and Films, Social Media Manager, Communication Manager, and Project Manager who happens to be Deaf. However, I do not allow my Deafness to stop me from following my passions despite society’s ignorance, oppression, assumption, rejection, and discrimination. Once you have the passion within you, the fire keeps going, and it has been burning since I was four years old. I have been in the industry for years and working extremely hard daily, non-stop, which shows my dedication.
I do both Theatre and Film, which makes me a talented Actor with the ability to perform onstage and onscreen; not only that, I’m the most versatile Actor who happens to be Deaf playing all kinds of roles. Roles include Hamlet in Hamlet, Joan in Fun Home, Ginny in 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, and many more! I also am known as the first Deaf Female Actor to portray the role of Billy in Tribes by Nina Raine, and I have done the part five times. I love playing challenging roles and would love to be Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway!
Not just an Actor; I write scripts because I value authentic stories, as our voice matters, and even to create roles and opportunities for everyone. REAL, the tiny film web series has been a hit in film festivals, a grand prize winner, and the best original script. Now, it’s being optioned to develop it further with Skyphire Entertainment.
I wrote a complete TV Series, Always Natalie, a 22 minutes comedy/drama concerning the chaotic dating life of our Deaf protagonist Natalie in present-day. I have been working on Always Natalie since 2010 and am looking for dedicated, passionate, hard-working producers, showrunners, folks, and networks to bring this alive to the screen. I even look forward to playing the role of Natalie and hope Marlee Matlin plays my Mother in the series. Always Natalie will show more representation onscreen and give folks more opportunities onscreen and behind the camera.
I wrote a feature film, Destiny, hoping to act along with Claire Foy! I also am currently working on attaching a director to Destiny while looking for film funding to bring this beautiful will-be-an-award-winning project.
I’m working on a short film/TV proof of concept with a talented producer/writer Tasha Hardy and amazing writer, Keiko Tamura, “I Love You So Much.” “I Love You So Much” is an award-winning silent film that’s reminiscent of “Wonderstruck” meets “Coffee Shop,” about a musician (Michelle Mary Schaefer) who loses her hearing and has to integrate into a new community, finding hope in a repeat customer at her new job at a deaf cafe. Having left a singing career behind, she finds a unique way to make a daily positive impact that ultimately leads to saving a stranger’s life. We look forward to bringing this story to life working with many brilliant talented Actors who are onboard.
While auditioning, doing theatre, writing, and waiting for opportunities, I empowered myself to bring the short film I wrote, Babe to Blocked alive, to the screen. I worked extremely hard solo for five months in the pre-production and productions as a project manager, location scout, prop master, director, Actor, catering, etc. I could not be even more proud of the project because for years, people have told me that I will fail. But this also shows that your passion is the fire, and it kept me going. Babe to Blocked is currently being edited to submit to film festivals.
I’m always looking for new projects onstage, and onscreen and even aim to collaborate with other authentic creative artists. We have so many stories to be told, all forms of creativity.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Life, in general, is not a smooth ride. Yet, I have faced many struggles as a person who is Deaf with barriers to equal access to events, films, etc., along with discrimination.
Now in this industry, I have fallen thousands of times and am genuinely a resilient person. I do not allow society’s judgment on their assumptions and ignorance about me and the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing stop me from following my passions. I’m always advocating and educating daily.
Yes, there have been some harsh comments from Directors who have said, “Wow, you are so beautiful, but you cannot act because you are Deaf. Deaf people cannot be Actors.” Excuse me; Deaf people can do anything but not hear. Look at Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, Phyllis Frelich, Deanne Bray, and many more. I still dream of working with Marlee Matlin, which will happen someday! I even had folks being shocked that I write scripts; those stories are authentic, and my voice and creativity matter just like all writers. Even though it’s 2023, people are still shocked by our skills and capability, yet we still need opportunities to be viewed equally, just like you.
There are zillions of times that I have been told the only role I could play is Sarah Norman in Children of a Lesser God, as I have six times. I do not want to be limited to specific roles, which is why I’m a very versatile Actor playing all kinds of roles, not hearing roles, they are HUMAN ROLES, and I happen to be Deaf. It adds layers to the character and story.
I remember I saw a notice for an audition for a short horror film, Made of These; I told myself to do it as you never know—as it has always been my motto. I nailed the role of Ashlinn; the writer/director Ven Scott and his production team were blown away as the rest is history. I’m incredibly proud of the film and the folks I worked with. Thank you, and we need more folks like Ven, who open his mind, eyes, and hearts to end up with a powerful film.
With thousands of rejections, I admit there are times when I almost gave up my passions. But I didn’t; instead, I fell, rested, and rose again. I put my hands on my heart and looked in the mirror, asking myself, “Why did I start this, and why does this matters?” I know, I smile, and I have been in this industry since I was a kid, constantly working non-stop. I know not to give up, as it’s worth every step of this journey; I feel rich to share this with all of you.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am known as an Actor who takes risks; will bring the characters alive on stage and screen. I am often called “The Depp,” which is Johnny Depp, a talented actor who changes his looks for every role. My acting expertise will exceed your expectations, leaving the audience longing for more. My writings (scripts) are authentic and connect with the audience emotionally, whether it’s deep and/or laugh with the journey of the story.
I am a rare authentic Artist in the theatre and Film industry. I have three college degrees and a certification from NYU’s Film and TV. I am passionate about learning and working in the industry to tell its story, empower, and make a difference.
Reviews
“This is a remarkable show, Schaefer as Sarah in Children of a Lesser God is one of the most powerful and moving theatre pieces I have ever seen in a long time.”
“Schaefer’s was a poignantly nuanced performance that grows increasingly confident as the show progresses.” – Tribes
“It isn’t until Treem introduces the play’s fourth woman, a kind of drifter/handywoman and lesbian separatist named Hannah, that the show truly comes to life. In part, this is thanks to the remarkable job by Michelle Mary Schaefer, a Deaf actress whose embodiment of Hannah’s strength and simmering rage truly comes to define the character.”
“Schaefer, as Billy is the best theatrical performance I ever seen.”
“Schaefer, as The Girl in the Mirror, is a beautiful performer. Her face, her movements, her choices- so moving.”
“Schaefer does the justice as Billy even though she is a female.”
“Like an opera, Schaefer is the prima donna of this production with a winsome quality and expressive face featuring an outstanding smile. She makes you care about what is happening, aided in no small way by her co-performer, Shoemaker, who is Chloe’s voice. The two performers seem to meld into one cohesive whole.”
“Puck was played with mischievous glee by Michelle Mary Schaefer. Her antics were fun, and she fully embodied that trickster elf.”
“Michelle Mary Schaefer was magnificent as Sarah Norman, which made me cry.”
In the next 5-10 years, I see myself still working in the industry, writing more authentic scripts. And, of course, still acting. I also look forward to directing some films, but I want to focus mainly on acting and writing. I would love to be a co-showrunner working with an experienced showrunner for my TV Series, Always Natalie, which I hope goes into pre-production in 2023 along with Destiny!
I hope to accomplish my dream role as Elphaba on Broadway’s Wicked and even Eurydice in Hadestown. I also look forward to checking WestEnd off my bucket list!
I want to produce and bring more authentic scripts to the screens. Also, be an Artistic Director for a theatre focusing on culture, equity, social justice, Deaf, and disabilities. Bring powerful rare plays to the stage to leave the audience to think and feel.
Also to own a beach home where I can hear the ocean waves crashing upon the shore daily! My favorite sound in the world!
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
A friendly reminder to please Caption your Films, TV, Videos, Podcast, Social Media, and many more. The captions are for:
* Deaf and Hard of Hearing
* English Second Language
* Elders with Hearing Loss
* Folks with Hearing Loss
* ADHD
* Autism
and the mainstream.
A friendly reminder that the auto-generated captions are not good enough and not a replacement for the accessible captions. It’s not okay. It doesn’t do justice. It has tons of word and spelling errors, and we never know who is saying what. The auto-generated captions are unclear, which causes tons of frustration and disconnection from the world and the videos. Finally, it’s vast neglect and discrimination against those who use captions. There is no equality here. I’m thankful for those who captioned their films, videos, and social media. I always advocate, speak up, and educate, which I find myself, among many others, constantly repeating over and over like a broken record.
Sadly, many videos on social media, youtube, and general films are not accessible. Unfortunately, many films in the Film Festivals are not captioned even though most Film Festival Directors have asked the filmmakers to please caption them. Unfortunately, they ignored the request and declined our access to enjoy their projects.
Also, the movie theatres’ are not accessible to use due to the device stop working in the middle of the film or not at all. I stopped going to the movies because of that ongoing issues and am always given a free ticket for the next time. Even recently, Marlee Matlin was invited to Sundance Film Festival as a juror for a film, and the device failed her, and other jurors walked out of the theatre. It’s 2023, and still happening and is not okay.
However, I miss having equal access to the movie theatre with open captioned onscreen. It’s so much better than the device and feels more inclusive. However, rarely do movie theatres provide open captions, so they should start reconsidering that accessibility for all and do not remember when was the last time, which has been years.
Lastly, did you know that the majority of the videos on the plane are not captioned. So we are limited to a few films we might not want to watch, while the other travelers have many options. That’s not equality. And even when I was flying home from Los Angeles, Children of a Lesser God was not even captioned!
All that is an example of barriers, discrimination, neglect, and a violation of ADA. Let’s make changes, starting with you and me! Be mindful of others who need captions.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.michellemaryschaefer.com
- Instagram: @michellemaryschaefer_official
- Twitter: @MichelleMary82
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWjShVo2WsPgQrdUw-X8yjA
Image Credits
Two woman kissing on stage: Tribes by Nina Raine Directed by Louis Hobson. Photo by Brett Carr Black and White man and woman: Children of a Lesser God Directed by CeCe McFarland. Photo by Annette Dragon Me sitting on the Sofa: Tribes by Nina Raine Directed by Macey Mott. Photo by Elyse Youngman Three people on chair, me in Blue Dress: Children of a Lesser God Directed by Michelle Mary Schaefer and Maggie Spanuello. Photo by Hope Repertory Theatre Me on the floor with another Actor and bed: Fun Home Directed by Michael Jenkinson. Photo by Shanna Paxton Flower: Babe to Blocked Me and Stella Parton on set of Merry and Gay. Still shots from Made of These Directed by Ven Scott
