Now through Feb. 23, the Philadelphia Theatre Company is showing. “Tribes,” a compelling story cataloging the experiences of a deaf man named Billy. The play, by Nina Raine and Stuart Carden, has already recieved a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play in 2012. The story follows Billy growing up in a loud, drama-filled family where no body would take the patience to learn sign language, forcing him to understand how to read lips instead.

Feeling as though he could never communicate, Billy falls in love with a woman who will soon be losing her own hearing. Growing up with deaf parents herself, she already knows how to use sign language and starts to teach Billy. This new lesson gives Billy his own sense of power and shows communication in a way that has never been done for him. Learning how to deal with being accepted and being a part of people’s lives is what Billy has to learn to deal with next. Tickets are currently going between the prices of $46-$59.