What great Deaf athlete is commemorated in a play that was staged off-Broadway and in Chicago?

Answer:
The Signal Season of Dummy Hoy, by Allen Mayer and Michael Nowak. It focuses on Hoy’s rookie year with the Oshkosh Club (1886), his struggles to gain respect, and his communicative frustrations and ambitions, with flashbacks and a flash-forward.

Who inspired this play?

Answer:
Meyer’s Deaf daughter Aliza enjoyed watching Rainbow’s End, a TV series for children with a Deaf Culture focus. She was watching a segment on Hoy, and her father saw and was intrigued by it—a deaf player breaking into the major leagues!

Who starred in it?

Answer:
Dean Patrick “Dino” Cannavino had the title role in the Chicago production (which premiered May 6, 1987); Larry Bazzell had it in the New York production (which opened on December 2, 1987). Reviews of the play were mixed (the more cynical reviewers finding fault with just about everything), but the audiences enjoyed it, and since the vast majority weren’t familiar with Hoy as an historical figure, they were pleased to learn about him. Many wanted to learn more. Both Deaf performers got glowing reviews.