Howie Seago
| Howie Seago | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Tacoma, Washington |
| Occupation | Television actor, Theatre actor, Theatre director |
Howie Seago is an American deaf actor and director.
Early life, family and education
Seago was born in Tacoma, Washington. His father was hard of hearing, and that side of the family had a history of hearing problems.[1] Howie has two brothers (both of whom have hearing loss; one is deaf) and two sisters (who have no hearing problems).[1] He first began to develop his mimicking abilities as a child with the help of his mother.
He began his serious acting work in college, when he joined the National Theatre of the Deaf. His major was psychology.[1]
Career
Seago's television career includes appearances on Hunter, Star Trek: The Next Generation[2] and The Equalizer as well as involvement in the children's show, Rainbow's End. He has also produced some plays, using both hearing and deaf actors. He is a central figure of the American Deaf Community, especially as an author and teacher.
His break-out role was in Peter Sellars' production of Ajax. He was later cast by David Byrne for the German production of The Forest (1989), because he was so impressed with Seago's performance.[2] This production was directed by Robert Wilson for the Berliner Festspiele. In Austria, Seago worked as an actor for the Salzburg Festival and the Vienna Festival and as a director for ARBOS - Company for Music and Theatre.[2] He also had a significant role in Beyond Silence, a German film about a hearing girl growing up with deaf parents, directed by Caroline Link.[1]
Since 2009, Seago has been a company member with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, in Ashland, Oregon, where he is the first deaf actor to perform in the festival's history. His roles there have included The Ghost of Hamlet's Father in Hamlet, Ned Poins in Henry IV, Part I and Henry IV, Part II, Marcellus Washburn in The Music Man, Bob Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird, Duke Senior in As You Like It, King Cymbeline Cymbeline, Little John in "The Heart of Robinhood", and Wolf in Into the Woods.
Honors and awards
Seago has been honored many times, including being a recipient of the Helen Hayes Award.[3]
Personal life
Seago's wife, Lori, is a fan of Star Trek.[2] They have two sons, neither of whom are deaf.[1] The family resides in Seattle.[1]
Written works
- Seago, Howie. In an Alien World of Sound, ARBOS-Edition, Vienna-Salzburg-Klagenfurt, 1996/1997.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Slovick, Matt (1988-06-09). "Out of Deafness". Washington Post. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
- 1 2 3 4 Farley, Ellen (1989-01-12). "Stepping Aboard the Starship 'Enterprise'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
- ↑ Gamarekian, Barbara (1987-05-06). "3D HELEN HAYES AWARDS FOR WASHINGTON DRAMA". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
External links
- Howie Seago at the Internet Movie Database
- Deaf Life Magazine Cover, April 1989