Sign language and social media: Green Day’s ‘American Idiot,’ reimagined for 2024

There’s a scene in “American Idiot” when Will, a young man about to start a new life in the city with his friends, receives the unexpected news that he’s about to become a father. “That is exactly the subtext we’re interested in exploring here: How can we use all the languages at our disposal to get at the heart of these characters and where they are at each moment of this story?” This staging of “American Idiot” is a landmark production for L.A. Running Oct. 2 through Nov. 10, the Center Theatre Group and Deaf West Theatre collaboration marks the reopening of the Mark Taper Forum after a yearlong hiatus, the first full season programmed by newly appointed CTG Artistic Director Snehal Desai, and Desai’s CTG directorial debut. “And the role of media in people’s lives that ‘American Idiot’ predicted 20 years ago is more relevant than ever for the Deaf community, because social media is a way for us to connect with each other and the larger world.” Daniel Durant and Mars Storm Rucker play Johnny and Whatsername, respectively, in “American Idiot.” Thanks to all the technology used to hear music — audio captions on Instagram and Tiktok, bass-boosting headphones, cochlear implants, hearing aids and more — today’s generation of Deaf people are expressing themselves by uploading videos of their ASL covers. “I started posting covers of R&B and hip-hop songs online five years ago, and it helped me find the Deaf community I had been looking for, as well as a connection to a whole hearing audience I didn’t know I could have.” Such ASL covers will play around the Taper at the top of this “American Idiot” production, which is intended to be fully accessible to Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences through projected subtitles, performed American Sign Language and boosted bass for feeling the music’s vibrations. “It’s about using actual tools to honor the spirit of a revival — taking old material and doing something new with it, and figuring out what works best for each section of the story.” “American Idiot” is the fourth collaboration between Center Theatre Group and Deaf West Theatre, after 2009’s “Pippin,” 2007’s “Sleeping Beauty Wakes” and 2003’s “Big River.” That first show went on to Broadway, earned two Tony nominations and completed a national tour.