Taylor Iman Jones Will Star in Elephant Shoes at Two River Theater

Taylor Iman Jones Will Star in Elephant Shoes at Two River Theater

Directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun, the Deaf West co-production is written by Caroline Kay and Ivan Menchell.

March 10, 2026 By Meg Masseron

Taylor Iman Jones (SIX The Musical) will star alongside Daniel Durant (Spring Awakening) and James Olivas (Evita) in the world premiere of new musical Elephant Shoes at Two River Theater this summer. A co-production with Deaf West Theatre, it will play the New Jersey company's Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater June 4-28.

Directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun (Newsies), it will feature music and lyrics by Caroline Kay (Overnight) and a book by Ivan Menchell (Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical).

With a contemporary score and an immersive blend of spoken English, American Sign Language (ASL), and groundbreaking stage technology fully accessible in both languages, the musical follows Roxy, a whip-smart coder who helps turn a groundbreaking tech dream into reality alongside Cy, whose brilliant invention is on the verge of revolutionizing communication. The device instantly translates spoken English into American Sign Language, and vice versa. But Cy’s breakthrough means nothing if he cannot connect with the one person he longs for—Roxy.

Iman will star as Roxy, with Durant as Cy, and Olivas as Chris. The production will feature ASL choreography by Colin Analco, music supervision and direction by Meghann Zervoulis Bate, orchestrations by Tom Kitt, scenic design by Tobin Ost, projection design by Caite Hevner, costume design by Sarafina Bush, lighting design by Annie Wiegand, sound design by Daniel Lundberg, and casting direction by The TRC Company's Spencer Gualdoni and Claire Burke.

"We are thrilled to partner with Two River to premiere Elephant Shoes, a bold new musical led by a Deaf hero set in a world that reflects our complex, interconnected reality...Comedy becomes a lens to examine our preconceptions, challenging audiences to see beyond preconceived boundaries. At its core, the piece is a powerful catalyst for human connection, exploring our fundamental desire to be understood in a landscape of ever-shifting communication and technology. With an extraordinary creative team at the helm, we can't wait to share this hilarious, thought-provoking story with beautiful music that illuminates our shared humanity,” said Deaf West Artistic Director DJ Kurs in a statement.

For tickets and more information, visit TwoRiverTheater.org.