Douglas Ridloff
CV
Douglas Ridloff is a renowned poet and visual storyteller, creating original works in American Sign Language (ASL). His performances have earned him national and international acclaim, with appearances in countries such as Jamaica, Cuba, France, Germany, Israel, Australia, and the United Kingdom. He has also performed at prestigious venues, including the Whitney Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Jewish Museum, the 9/11 Memorial Museum, the Nelson-Atkins Museum, and SITE Santa Fe. His work has been featured by major outlets like NBC News, Circa, HBO, Vice, CNN’s Great Big Story, and at TEDxVienna and TEDxUniGeneva.
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Beyond his own creative work, Douglas is a passionate advocate for ASL literature. He is the executive director of *ASL SLAM*, https://www.aslslam.org/
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Douglas also extends his passion for ASL to the film industry as a producer and director. He produced and directed the short film *Idle Hands*, for which he won the Best Director award at the Clin d'Oeil Festival. Most recently, he served as a Consulting Producer for Marvel’s *ECHO* and has worked as an ASL Consultant for various high-profile film and television projects, including *A Quiet Place 1 & 2*, Marvel’s *Eternals*, *Saturday Night Live*, *Hawkeye*, and *Only Murders in the Building*.
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Selected Poetry / Performance / Events / Workshops
2022
PJ Library, location (performer) The Story of Purim in ASL
2021
Radcliffe-Harvard Institute (performer, presenter) Transients: A Poetry Reading and Discussion with Douglas Ridloff
2020
Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City (organizer, host, performer) Deaf Cultural Festival
2019
TEDxUniGeneva (performer) Seeing Music
The Jewish Museum, New York City (performer) Poet Douglas Ridloff Responds to OY/YO & Douglas Ridloff Responds to Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything
Planet Word, Washington, D.C. (performer) The Spoken Word
Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia (performer, presenter) The Sophistication of Sign Language Poetry: A Workshop by Douglas Ridloff
Rochester Institute of Technology (performer, presenter) Embodying Theory in the Classroom.
2018
TEDxVienna (performer, presenter) Deaf Poets Society
9/11 Memorial Museum (performer, presenter)
Whitney Museum (curator, performer, presenter)
Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf, Jamaica, (workshop leader)
Australia Tour (performer) Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Townsville, Cairnes, and Perth
Israel Tour Sign (performer) Tel aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa
Norway Tour (performer, workshop leader) Oslo, Stavanger, Trondheim, Bergan, and Sandefjord
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2016
The Met Museum, Met Signs Tour in ASL: Public Parks, Private Gardens: Paris to Provence
SITE Santa Fe, (performer) Moebius Path by Francisca Benitez with Douglas Ridloff
Whitney Museum, (curator, performer, presenter)
9/11 Memorial Museum (performer)
The Jewish Museum, New York City (performer, host) ASL SLAM
Columbia College, Chicago (artist in residence)
2015
LaGuardia Community College, New York City (workshop leader)
St. Petersburg College Clearwater Campus (workshop leader)
2013
Northeastern University, Boston (workshop leader)
Deaf Film Camp: Creative Content Development (workshop leader)
2008-2018
Douglas Ridloff Live! & The Capital D Show (performer, creative director)
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Chicago, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Boston, Las Vegas, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Miami, Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Berlin, Reims, Calgary, Lyon, Cuba, Wolverhampton, Jamaica, Helsinki, Niagara Falls, Canada, and Copenhagen..
Creator/Founder
ASL SLAM, Non-Profit Organization, Board President & Director, 2008-Present
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Film Production | Consulting
2022
Echo, Marvel Studios, Consulting Producer,
Only Murders in the Building Season 2, ASL Consultant for Nathan Lane, Selena Gomez, and Joey Caverly
2021
Hawkeye, Marvel Studios, ASL Consultant for Vincent D’Onofrio, Fra Fee, & Alaqua Cox
Eternals, Marvel Studios, ASL consultant for Chloë Zhao, Lauren Ridloff, Kumail Nanijiani, Lia Mchugh, Brian Tyree Henry, and Barry Keoghan
2020
Only Murders in the Building Season 1, ASL Consultant for Nathan Lane, Olivia Reis, and Joey Caverly
A Quiet Place II, ASL Coach for John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe
2019
Crying Hands, Teater manu, Oslo, Norway ASL Consultant
2018
A Quiet Place, ASL Coach for John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe
Saturday Night Live, A Kanye Place, ASL Coach for Donald Glover
Saturday Night Live, ASL Coach for Sam Rockwell
2016
Love Me Now by John Legend, Actor, 2016
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2008-2014
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Press
2022
CNN: 'CODA' is just one recent film influenced by deaf creators who are changing the industry
2021
Kveller: This Deaf Jewish Dad Taught the Cast of ‘Eternals’ Sign Language
2019
The Jerusalem Post: ‘Signing is cool’
Algemeiner: Online Social Network Geared to Deaf, Signing Community Launches in Israel
Israel National News: 80 hearing impaired children celebrate bar, bat mitzvah
Forward: In Israel, There Are Poetry Slams For The Deaf
2018
Poets & Writers: An Explosion of Language: Publishing American Sign Language Poetry
The Center for the Humanities, CUNY: Publishing American Sign Language Poetry
2017
NBC NEWS: Deaf Poet's Visual Poetry: Creative Storytelling Without Words
CNN Great Big Story: Spoken Without Words: Poetry with ASL SLAM
Circa: ASL Slam's 'open hands' event lets the deaf express themselves through poetry
HuffPost: Meet The Man Bringing Slam Poetry To The Deaf Community
2016
Review Journal: Nevada’s first ASL slam for deaf, hard-of-hearing held in Henderson
2015
Westword: ASL SLAM Provides an Artistic Outlet for Denver's Deaf Community
2014
Hopes&Fears: Internet slang meets American Sign Language
2013
Contently: Slamming for Solidarity
Education
M.S Deaf Education Elementary/Secondary, May 2001, Western Maryland College, Westminster, MD
Graduated with Honors ASLPI (American Sign Language Proficiency Interview)- Score: 5.0/5.0
B.S. Physical Education May 1999 Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C.
Films:
Love Me Now by John Legend (2016)
The last Crunch: Doritios (2014)
The Fast Draw: Doritios (2013)
Hot Deafrobics with Fiona (2011)
Extra Information:
Currently hold NYS certification in Physical Education and American Sign Language from K-12
New York Deaf Theatre-Board Member 2010-2013
NAD ASL Live!- First place 2008