Patricia (“Trix”) Bruce, who is deaf, delightful and dynamic, is an extraordinary performing artist with a spirited audience-participation entertainment style. Drawing on her background in American Sign Language (ASL) Linguistics and a life of travel and adventure, Trix excels in hilarious true-to-life storytelling and impromptu, interactive ASL artistry. Diverse interests from business to stage performance led Trix to entrepreneurial success as an instructional presenter and sought-after entertainer (trixbruce.com). Trix is also an approved sponsor for the RID Certificate Maintenance Program. Enthusiastic audiences all across America celebrate Trix Bruce!

During my freshman year in 1980, I got the role of Helen Keller and fell in love with theater performance! After graduating from RIT with a degree in Business Management, I worked part-time with ASL departments and I continued my involvement with theater. Interpreters universally loved my storytelling. A lot of people encouraged me to do a Deaf-one-woman show, so I created one. I enjoy sharing my stories with various communities: Multicultural, Cultural, Diversity, Disabilities, Deaf, Interpreters, Deaf Internationals, Mainstreaming, and more. And here I am!

Seeing an audience’s laughter is the best part of any performance! My performances draw different audiences, and each one is a joy. American Sign Language Interpreters are hungry for new signs and they love the sign variation discoveries I’ve found as I’ve traveled across America. When I share my stories with hearing audiences, they begin to understand what it’s like to be a Deaf person. ASL presentations help hearing children to develop respect for Deaf friends and Deaf people in the community. Deaf children are a favorite audience! I love watching them as they break through their shyness and come up on stage, standing in front of the audience and sharing their stories just like me. These young Deaf performers gain confidence in themselves and put big smiles on the faces of their amazed teachers.

Be patient. Be persistent. Practice, practice, practice. Always learn as many ways as you can, and don’t worry about mistakes! Set goals with time frames. There will be always pros and cons on your path through the challenges. The more experience you gain, the better. You’ll make it!

When I established my business, starting with a one-Deaf-woman show, I discovered that it’s impossible to make it in the performance field without support. Find mentors! Do research to prepare. Learn from others. Attend trainings. Invest in the total package to build your dream. Just like a new duckling, you may not be where you want to be, right now, but someday, you’ll be a lovely swan!

I’ve traveled America for some time, gathering information and working on ideas for videos, and I’m now ready to develop additional online professional development modules. These professional-development videos are of great benefit for interpreters, who can upgrade their skills, increase their knowledge, and accumulate CEUs.

I hope to continue empowering the Deaf and interpreting communities, as well as other interested communities, as much as I can. I want to encourage interpreters to expand their signing skills. I have always enjoyed learning, and I love sharing my tales of discovery!

I’d be Buffy or Eileen Ripley as they are fighters and winners like me. I want to fight oppression, and share stories telling everyone that Deaf people can do anything!

First of all, I’d focus as much time with my children as I could, getting them involved with my dreams so that they would be rich in love, great memories, and inspiration.

I am proud that I have produced several DVDs for interpreters! If I only had a brief time left, I’d do my best to push myself to get everything I want to create on video, to encourage interpreters toward best practices!

I would love to have both! I would enjoy watching a dog who sings lullabies, especially watching the dog’s facial expressions and dancing paws.

I would promote empowerment in the Deaf community: self-esteem, brilliant ideas, and solutions for challenges!

Deaf kids tend to have low self-esteem when they perceive themselves as under the control of others. I would encourage Deaf kids to see how they could grow their abilities and reach their dreams by pursuing goals with patience and persistence. My superpowers would help them gain confidence and self-esteem to see themselves as capable. My superpowers would bring them out of their cocoons of hiding and into the light as butterflies!

When aspiring and working interpreters are frustrated in their efforts to attain certifications or reach their professional advancement goals, my superpowers would encourage them with the magic words: Practice, practice, and practice! I’d offer different ways to improve and advance by attending various trainings, presentations, and courses, and by socializing with Deaf people. I would use my superpowers to give interpreters boundless physical and mental energy to keep going toward their highest dreams!

Deaf employees face challenges at work, such as prejudices and protocols that block promotion. I would love to give them opportunities to move up the ladder of success, just like hearing people. When hearing people set up oppressive barriers, I would use my superpowers to encourage Deaf people to break through to success!

Ha! I’ve got several secrets: working out, modeling, photography, and flower gardening. Modeling is something that gives me an opportunity to show that “Deaf people can do anything!” However, communicating with the photographers is challenging. I’m looking forward to getting a chance to work with Deaf photographers someday! I like taking good care of myself, drinking plenty of water, keeping in shape, and spending some relaxing time at a spa or pampering myself at a salon. Oh, and I’m a chocolate lover, too!

One of my least favorite moments in life is trying to catch the 2nd flight after a quick layover! Often, I’ve had to run from gate to gate not to miss the 2nd flight. I hate the feeling of getting all “out of breath”. Airlines and hospitality services are often not very accommodating about communicating with Deaf customers. When there are annoying lapses in customer services, I always try to write about my concerns so that these industries will become more well-educated! Hopefully, then they’ll treat their next Deaf consumers BETTER!!!

Photography is a lot of fun, very peaceful and a great stress reliever! I love taking nature photos, especially animals, flowers, forests, and sunsets at the beach. I love wiggling my toes in the sand along the beach! Perhaps I’m a beach gal, I have always dreamed of owning a beach house. Maybe one day it will happen.

The ten questions Lipton asks are:

Success!

2 What is your least favorite word?

Can’t

ABCD’s: Aims (Goals). Beauty. Creativity. Deaf “can-do” spirit.

These phrases are so annoying: “Can you drive?”

“Can you lip-read?”

Purring kitties

My dog’s kisses

I don’t hear sounds, I feel them. I hate it when I’m quietly working and not expecting anyone to come around, and then someone taps me, out of the blue.

Damn!

I’d love to work at an animal shelter, helping animals to survive and letting them know that they’re lovable.

Alligator wrestler!

I’d like for God to sign to me! “Hello! Good to see you!” (hug)

About Thomsen Young
Thomsen Young is the founder of The Silent Grapevine.You can follow him +Thomsen Young or via Twitter @yadudesup.  You can also follow The Silent Grapevine via Twitter so you will never miss the latest news from The Silent Grapevine! If you like this post LIKE it and share it with your family and friends!