Meet Treshelle Edmond

Today we’d like to introduce you to Treshelle Edmond.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In high school, I received a notice to audition for a role on House, M.D. I had to beg my mother to call the number because they had been auditioning for two weeks. She finally agreed to call, and they told her they had already been auditioning for two weeks and they would contact her if anything changed. They called her the next day and asked if she could bring me on that day at 4 pm. They emailed the sides, and I practiced them in the car on the way to the audition.

I remember being excited because what my mother said was true. They had been auditioning for weeks, but they still hadn’t found their Laura, so I started to feel like I really had a chance at landing this role. After all, they were looking for a deaf girl who knew sign language to play a deaf girl that speaks sign language. That was me! There were a lot of girls there to audition that day, but most of them were hearing but knew American sign language (ASL). I walked into the audition room excited, grateful, and humble. I thanked them for allowing me to audition and then I forgot my lines. I couldn’t believe it!

The director must have really liked me. He told me to take my jacket off and try it again, and I nailed it. They called my mom that evening maybe 30 minutes after we got home and offered me the role. That was my very first audition and my very first television role: a guest starring role on a well-known show: House, M.D. That’s where I started. I went on and graduated from Fairfax Senior High and attended California State University, Northridge (CSUN). I did a few smaller roles in a couple of episodes of Glee, but my passion for acting was growing.

I decided to take some time off from school to pursue my acting. That’s how I got involved with Spring Awakening. I had forgotten my love for theater. We were in a 99 seat theater in downtown Los Angeles, but everyone that saw the play fell in love with the Deaf West version of Spring Awakening. I was approached after one of our performances and auditioned to perform the National Anthem at the Super Bowl.

In February 2015, I performed America the Beautiful with John Legend and The National Anthem with Idina Menzel at Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona. In May 2015, we received word that Spring Awakening would be transferring to the Wallis in Beverly Hills to a 500 seat theater! I couldn’t believe we were selling out a theater that size. We closed in June 2015 and received word in July that the Deaf West production of Spring Awakening was transferring to Broadway!

Rehearsals began in August and opening night was set for September 27, 2015. Including myself, there were 25 Broadway debuts that night. It was amazing. Since then, I landed a role in season 2 of the Netflix series Master of None. The episode is called New York, I Love You and is centered around the lives of three New Yorkers: the doorman, a cab driver, and a deaf bodega store clerk.

In May 2018, I closed in another Broadway revival: Children of a Lesser God directed by Kenny Leon. It was truly an honor to work with him and the rest of the cast.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Has it been a smooth road? Not even close! Broadway is very demanding by itself. Couple that with two-show days and having your hearing aids malfunction or not working. I know what I signed up for, and nobody ever said it would be easy. In fact, everyone has always said that it would be close to impossible for me.

There’s always a communication struggle, having enough qualified interpreters, and having replacement batteries in case one of my hearing aids die without warning before the next scene! Sometimes I have no choice and do it freely in my heart without my hearing aids as a team player to work together.

My biggest obstacle I’m going through is happening right now. I lost my only brother in a car accident a few months ago. He was my only baby brother. Grief is a huge obstacle to overcome, and it has been really difficult dealing with loss and trying to get back to work.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am my brand. I am very proud of me. I specialize in also doing music covers in American Sign Language. It involves interpreting the song and breaking it down to perform in American Sign Language for everyone to enjoy.

When I have good working digital hearing aids, I can hear. Without them, I am completely deaf. I speak in sign language, and I speak verbally. My mom made sure I could use my voice and speak out to communicate. This is one thing that sets me apart from others: the ability to do both.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I have been extremely lucky on this journey. My acting career has been a pleasant one. My very first role was a guest starring role on a popular television show.

I guess that was fortuitous because it rarely happens that way in this industry. Particularly for women of color who are deaf.

Contact Info:

• Website: imdb.me/treshelleedmond
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treshelleedmond/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TreshelleEdmond/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TreshelleEdmond

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