Television Specials
Faculty Featured in Spring PBS Programs
BROADCAST NEWS: Supalla (above) is featured in Through Deaf Eyes; Butler (below) discusses evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson in Sister Aimee.
Set your TV recorders—two Rochester professors, Ted Supalla and Anthea
Butler, are featured in programs airing on PBS this spring.
Supalla, director of the American Sign Language Program, appears in Through
Deaf Eyes, a film on the history and experience of the deaf community
in the United States since 1814. The two-hour documentary explores issues
surrounding the culture, language, identity, technology, education, and the
experiences of deaf people.
In the film, Supalla, who is also associate professor of brain and cognitive
sciences and of linguistics, discusses the “Supalla family accent,” his
family’s unique use of American Sign Language.
Butler, an assistant professor of religion, arranged the initial contact and
meeting between film producers and church leaders for Sister Aimee,
a documentary on early 20th-century evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson.
Besides serving as a consultant, Butler was interviewed on film at the Angelus
Temple. She discusses McPherson’s massive preparations—including
police escorts and pre-appearance photo opps—for her healing and preaching
tours, which often featured elaborate drama productions.
Through Deaf Eyes is scheduled for national broadcast at 9 p.m. on
Wednesday, March 21. Sister Aimee will air as part of the American
Experience series at 9 p.m. on Monday, April 2. Check the listings of local
PBS stations for exact broadcast date and time.
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