August Family Night

Friday, Aug. 14, 2026 ~ Movie & Ice Cream Sundaes

6:30 pm ice cream; 7 pm movie ($10; kids $5)

Christ the King Deaf Church, 730 S. New St, West Chester

Deaf since losing his hearing to meningitis, young Toby Wyler takes a bitter stance against the world and his family, refusing to accept his new stepfather. But when a highly trained orangutan named Casey is thrown from a truck near Toby’s home, the boy soon has a secret friend he can communicate with via sign language. This 1985 family film stars James Farentino, Tess Harper, Bridgette Andersen, Sean Gerlis, Burt Young, Louise Fletcher among others (1 hr. 40 min.)

Today, Sean Gerlis, a native of the New York City area, is the 3rd generation of his family to be Deaf. Sean has 30 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, building innovative products and services. Sean is currently an ADA Coordinator for the Board of Elections in New York City; he is involved in the Empire State Association of the Deaf, NAD, and is a contributing member to the Deaf Justice Coalition. Sean co-founded SILAN Communications, a sign language interpreting agency in NYC.