Keith Wann... Over 20 Years of ASL CODA Comedy

Enjoy a night of storytelling and ASL Culture. Laugh with Keith as he takes you on a hilarious "visual" journey to describe his childhood experiences. Come learn about the Deaf and Hearing Worlds and how they often clash with the help of a mischievous child of deaf adults…

Keith Wann is an acclaimed American Sign Language (ASL) performing artist who has been captivating and amusing audiences with his controlled chaos and total pandemonium comedy explosions on stage, often leaving his laughing audiences gasping for breath.  Wann has quickly established a reputation for his wacky, off-the-wall stories that ring true with CODAs everywhere and are equally funny for other members of the Deaf community.
Born hearing to Deaf parents in California, Keith grew up living in both the hearing and Deaf worlds, and has been able to create unique perspectives on the ways of both worlds. This has evolved into a one-man show, “Watching Two Worlds Collide,” which takes a humorous, almost shocking, look at both worlds.

Keith Wann has been performing since 2002, starting with a Sign Language Improv group "ICEWORM", and then in 2004 his solo career quickly took off due to several parody music videos going viral.  Through the years Keith has continued to tour with his own solo show and producing an ASL Comedy Tour event with other comedians.  Viral videos are still being uploaded to his various social media outlets which comment on his childhood, going to church, and being with his family. 

“The world needs more laughter. I grew up on traditional ASL storytellers and wanted to see a change in ASL comedy. I wanted to show that comedy could be presented in ASL, the entire body, and facial grammar. I also wanted to include some music skits to show obvious clashes of the two worlds.”

”My show describes my experiences of growing up as a hearing child with deaf adults and about learning what it means to live in two worlds (Deaf and Hearing). It is about truly discovering that my parents were considered different than my friend’s parents from mainstream society and trying to use that to my advantage to get away with trouble, but in the end realizing parents are all the same, and they always know best.
It is also about learning to live simultaneously in these two worlds with different cultures and balancing between the two, sometimes as an ambassador and sometimes as an observer.
I also prefer to sign my show, rather than voicing for myself, making it fully accessible to my parents, CODAs and the Deaf community, and then adding a voice interpreter to let the hearing audience follow along.”

“Keith Wann's combination of amazingly expressive language and his unique sense of humor is nothing short of comedy magic," says Crom Saunders, a playwright and actor from Sacramento.

Gary Sanderson, an interpreter and CODA of Northridge, California, however, Has a slightly different perspective. "If more deaf parents see Wann's show, they will start raising us CODAs different!"

"The only way you can watch Wann without cracking up is if you're injected with enough Novocain to make your entire face and mind numb," says Wenda Whalen of Sacramento

"A true hilarious replay of a Coda boy's experience in which we would not dare want the world to see unless your that curious. Oh my God, what's he doing? He is exposing me and my brother's coda experiences which is truly hilarious! Anyone who wants the true Coda culture experience have got to see your hilarious uninhibited show!!" Molly Bowen, coda interpreter – Sacramento

" I laughed until I cried" -Sign Language student
" A delightful experience in Sign Language and voice" -Theater Director
" Wonderful Deaf and Hearing entertainment" -Deaf Community leader
" He can really shake his 'groove thang." -Coda Interpreter

" HE SAID WHAT???"-Keith Wann's mother

Combining side-splitting physical humor, with heartfelt real life stories from his childhood as a hearing child with Deaf parents, has become his comedic trademark among the ASL Community, and is an original breakthrough performing ASL artist who has been featured in several short films with ASL and ASL Children's APP called Signed Stories (itv). He has also done several commercials for Pepsi, appeared in High Maintenance, Quantico, Law and Order, and several short films.

He semi-retired his live stage comedy show in 2017 to focus on web/studio projects and other creative ventures off the stage including acting, directing, producing, consulting, and bothering his kids.

Some Highlights include:
2002 - ASL Improv Group "ICEWORM"

2004 - Solo career - Coda Comedy

2005 - VRS commercials

2005 - Resonare (Mosdeux) FILM - FARMER

2007 - Deaf Freedom Cruise Ship Host

2007 - Law and Order - Deaf episode

2008 - Pepsi ASL Commercial 4x (SuperBowl)

2009 - How to Kill Your Girlfriend's Cat FILM - MOSES

2010 - ASL Radio - ASL Community Members

2012 - iTV Signed Stories (England)

2014 - SignItASL American Sign Language Made Easy ONLINE program

2016 - The Strength Within DV FILM

2016 - Signing Time Sentences

2017 - The Laurie Berkner Band Video YT

2017 - Signing Time Nursery Rhymes

2018 - Quantico ABC

2019 - High Maintenance HBO

2019 - WWE xbox commercial

2023 - So You Wanna Be a Star FILM - DR. FRISCO

Keith is also a Certified sign language interpreter since 1996 - specializing in Theater, Religion, and Mental Health.

Published Author 1999 AGO Publications "Our Stories: The Soul of Sign Language Interpreting"