Jo-Anne Anita Bryan is an Ottawa-based interdisciplinary artist/playwright experiencing life through the intersections of being Black, Deaf, Queer, and Woman. Jo-Anne’s artistry includes American Sign Language (ASL) storytelling and performance.
Jo-Anne is currently one-quarter of the Speaking Vibrations group; they did their first performance at Uproar Arts Festival in Summer 2019. They performed their shows in May 2021 at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa. Upcoming shows will be at Halifax Fringe Festival in Halifax and Ta Da Performing Festival in Wakefield. Most recently, the group received an award from Corel Endowment Fund for the Arts in May 2023.
Jo-Anne did a recital of her ASL storytelling ‘Where You Come From’ at Phenomena Festival and then ‘400 Years’ at Sound Off Festival. When she is not performing, she is consulting actors and interpreters output to ensure that it is accurate information.
She is one of eight selected playwrights who will be part of the Deaf Playwright Retreat in January 2024. Meantime, she is currently writing a new play in the dramaturgy collaboration program.