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(5/20/81 mtg   page 4)

Mostly in the mid-60's. I remember Bert Hill invented the drag-race ABC story; Bob Lang (?) from Texas--those 2 really started the tradition at Gally; later I met others who said they had those things from different places. JR: Can you remember and show us some? BE: "Easy.

452  Easy as pie." [Bill does ABC story--nice slow one re drag race--while JohnMark says the letters.]

474  KE: Asks Bill to do his routine (not an ABC story) about an interpreter and an affected, ignorant, boring speaker lecturing. "Makes an interpreter want to leave the room...shows how the deaf view an interpreter." BE: I haven't done that in a long time.(497-561: Bill does the routine, mouthing words of the lecturer, then moving over and acting the interpreter, back and forth; lecturer talks about her education, degrees, etc., interpreter dutifully follows along, then sees eyes glazing in his deaf audience, asks them if they're bored, begins not to interpret, but to tell them about the exciting plays in the afternoon's football game at Gallaudet; marvelous side-glance from lecturer, interpreter entirely carried away, audience applauding him but lecturer, slightly puzzled, thinks applause is for her.

562  When did you begin telling stories like that? BE: Who knows? I think John had some experience like that at NYU. I got that idea from John. [JohnMark claims not to remember the incident; doesn't tell it.]

580  KE: What's the one about the lady pulling down her skirt?
     BE: Oh, that's the same one. . . the speaker--I tell it differently different times. [592: interruption for cookies]

602  BE: We used to just sit around telling stories. It was a kind of competition, to see if you could do a better story; you could be interrupted if someone could do it better; he'd take over where you left off. Peter Wolf was an expert. (JR: It would be great if we could get one other person who used to tell those stories with you.)

660  Beginning of some talk about community theater.
     BE: I was involved with Tales from a Clubroom. Also I did establish a small community theater in Greenbelt; last month we gave a play in W. Va.--rough--eleven people in audience, "the show must go on"--we had to bear up. (JR: Why W. Va.? Lots of joking.)

698  BE: Where I live in Greenbelt--University Apts.--a ton of deaf people live there; it was easy to get people to act. The Huntington performance was their first; they were serious, did fantastic job. [tape runs out]