National Theatre of the Deaf
 | This article contains wording thatpromotes the subject in a subjective mannerwithout imparting real information.(April 2023) |
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| Abbreviation | NTD |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1967 |
| Headquarters | West Hartford, Connecticut,U.S. |
| Coordinates | 41°46′17″N72°44′51″W/ 41.7712702°N 72.7473777°W |
| Tyrone Giordano[1] | |
| Website | ntd |
TheNational Theatre of the Deaf(NTD) is aConnecticut-basedtheatre companyfounded in 1967. It is the oldest theatre company in theUnited Stateswith a continuous history of domestic and international touring, as well as producing original works.[2]NTD productions combineAmerican Sign Languagewithspoken languageto fulfill the theatre'smission statementof linkingDeafandhearingcommunities, providing more exposure to sign language, and educating the public aboutDeaf art.The NTD is affiliated with adrama school,also founded in 1967, and with the Little Theatre of the Deaf (LTD), established in 1968 to produce shows for a younger audience.[3]
Prior to the National Theatre of the Deaf, there were no theatre college-level programs created to support deaf aspiring actors. Furthermore, there were three majordeaf theatregroups, these being "The New York Association of the Deaf," "The New York Theatre Guild of the Deaf" and "The Metropolitan Theatre guild of the Deaf."
The first official performance of the NTD was a production ofThe Man With His Heart in the HighlandsatWesleyan Universityin 1967.[4]NTD members participated in the first National and Worldwide Deaf Theatre Conference in 1994. Many deaf actors have earned acclaim through their work with the NTD in performances, conferences, and community outreach. The NTD has been fundamental in the creation of an international Deaf theatre community, and has received several awards, including theTony Awardfor Theatrical Excellence. The company has visited each of the50 statesduring over 150 national tours, as well as over 30 countries.
Founding[edit]
The vision for the National Theatre of the Deaf was brought into the world by Edna S. Levine, a psychologist, and Anne Bancroft, an actress playing a deaf role (see below). They were able to combine their passion for theatre and desire to promote deaf art into being the spark plugs for NTD.
In 1946,Robert Panara,a graduate ofGallaudet Universityand newly hired teacher at theNew York School for the Deaf,produced a play withBernard Bragg,a 17-year-old student in Panara's English class.[5]Later in the 1940s, when Bragg was a student at Gallaudet, Panara left New York School for the Deaf to teach at Gallaudet. While both at Gallaudet, Panara and Bragg conceived of the idea of a theater for the Deaf.[6]
In 1963, Dr. Edna Levine, a professor ofDeaf studiesatNew York University,saw Bragg perform aone-man showinNew York City.She asked him for a meeting and shared her own vision for a national theater for the deaf.[7]In 1965, they obtained a federal grant from theU.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfareto establish the NTD. Additional grant money was given by theOffice of Education.[4]Mary E. Switzerof the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and Boyce R. Williams and Malcolm Norwood of theRehabilitation Services Administrationwere important advocates of funding the NTD.[8]
Levine and Bragg worked withset designerDavid Hays, a Harvard graduate who had experience in theatrical design and was a well-known broadway designer, to establish a mission statement, locate funding, select a location, and assemble a company. The founders also included Anne Bancroft, who playedAnnie Sullivanin theBroadwayproduction ofThe Miracle Worker,andArthur Pennand Gene Lasko, directors ofThe Miracle Worker.[8]Bancroft and Hays were drawn to work with one another because both "were captivated by the idea that sign language had a place on the world's stage as a performing art form."[9]
Mission and location[edit]
The founders' mission was to feature sign language in the theater for both deaf and hearing audiences. The founders believed that audience members need to "hear every word and see every word" in all NTD productions.[10]To fulfill this mission, productions included both Deaf and hearing actors. The language used by the Deaf performers included sign language,mime,andgesture,and the hearing actors provided spoken language. Bragg had studied under the French mimeMarcel Marceau,and his acting style influenced the early NTD productions.[11][12][13]
Originally, the NTD was located on the campus of theEugene O'Neill Theatre CenterinWaterford, Connecticut.In 1983, the NTD moved toChester, Connecticut.[8]: 63–64 In 2000, the NTD moved toHartford, Connecticut,and in 2004 moved onto the campus of theAmerican School for the DeafinWest Hartford.Since 2012, the NTD has again been based at the O'Neill Theatre Center while maintaining a satellite office on the campus of the American School for the Deaf.[4]
Furthermore, the NTD focuses on fighting perceptions of those who are Deaf. The NTD fights to be a catalyst for social change. Its mission is to tell authentic stories while furthering the representation and roles of Deaf actors and performers. There is a celebration of all cultures and groups. NTD had a mission to help underserved populations, wanting to assist people by engaging, educating, and entertaining their audience.
As stated in NTD's "National Theatre of the Deaf Public Testimony before Appropriations Committee" written by Betty Beekman the Executive Director in March of 2015, the missions statement of NTD is "to present theatrical work of the highest quality, performing in the unique style we created through blending American Sign Language and spoken word.
In support of this mission, NTD:
- entertains, educates, and enlightens the general public, building bridges, opening their eyes and ears to Deaf culture;
- seeks, trains, and employs deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing artists;
- offers its work to culturally diverse and inclusive audiences through performances, workshops, training, and community outreach activities which facilitate involvement with our methods of work.
Actors, instructors, and curriculum[edit]
The founding company included:
- Violet Armstrong
- Bernard Bragg
- Charles Corey
- Gilbert Eastman
- Lou Fant
- Ed Fearon
- Joyce Flynn Lasko
- Phyllis Frelich
- Dorothy Miles
- Mary Beth Miller
- Audree Norton
- Howard Palmer
- Will Rhys
- June Russi
- Tim Scanlon
- Morton Steinberg
- Andrew Vasnick
- Joe Velez
- Ralph White[8]: 125–129
Early instructors in the school included:
- Bernard Bragg
- Eric Malzkuhn
- Bob Panara
- Sahome Tachibana
- Gina Blau
- William Rhys
- George C. White III[8]
The school's curriculum included:
- Acting
- Mime
- Bodily movement
- Stagecraft
- Lighting
- Costuming
- History of theater
- Creative dance
- Japanese dance
- Hindu movement
- Tumbling
- Fencing[8]
Notable actors[edit]
Phyllis Frelichreceived theTony Award for Best Actress in a Playin 1980 forChildren of a Lesser God,produced by theMark Taper ForuminLos Angeles.
Linda Boveappeared regularly on the television seriesSesame Street.
Most recently, NTD alumni Troy Kotsur, who had performed with NTD from the years of 1991 to 1993, in both the shows Ophelia and Treasure Island, received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in the film Coda. In fact, in his acceptance speech, he thanked "" all of the Deaf theaters that have given me the opportunity to grow as an actor. "
Other actors who have worked with NTD includeColleen Dewhurst,Sir Michael Redgrave,Chita Rivera,Jason Robards,andMeryl Streep.[14]NTD actressJane Normanwent on to become a prominent voice in deaf media studies at Gallaudet University.[15]While some NTD actors have achieved recognition in theatre, a greater number of Deaf actors, includingChuck Baird,Eric Malzkuhn,Ed Waterstreet,Gilbert Eastman, Mary Beth Miller,Freda Norman,and Manny Hernandez, have achieved recognition primarily within Deaf theatre.
Productions, touring, and reception[edit]
Rehearsals and performances occupied most of each day for both company actors and students. The company toured by bus domestically and internationally. They received onlypart-timepay, and paidout-of-pocketfor their travel.[8]: 125–129 Both the company and the students liveddormitory-style at the O'Neill Theater Center while rehearsing, and slept either on the bus or in inexpensive hotels while touring domestically. While touring internationally, the actors stayed inhostels.[8][16]
The company performed plays written by hearing and Deaf playwrights.[8]: 121–124 Hearing audiences have generally had positive responses to NTD productions, while Deaf andHard of Hearingaudiences have often had mixed reviews. Deaf and Hard of Hearing audience members sometimes expected productions to be more focused around the Deaf experience, and to be less dramatized. Some Deaf audience members have seen NTD productions as catering to hearing audiences, which has generated a negative response. However, many Deaf audience members have responded positively and appreciated NTD productions.[8]: 115–116
The NTD has been discussed in newspapers such asSilent News,journals such as thePuppetry Journal,and television shows such asDeaf Mosaic,which aired during the 1980s and 1990s. Many scholars have written about the NTD in books anddissertations.[8]: 24–25, 41–42, 55–56, 70–71, 83–84, 95–96, 109–110, 117–118
Furthermore, NTD has recently appeared on both Disney Plus, Sesame Street, and The White House.
| Year(s) | Show Title |
|---|---|
| 1967–1968 | The Man With His Heart in the Highlands |
| 1967–1968 | The Tale of Kasane |
| 1967–1968 | Tyger! Tyger! And other Burnings |
| 1967–1968 | Gianni Schicchi |
| 1967–1968 | On the Harmfulness of Tobacco |
| 1968–1969 | The Critic |
| 1968–1969 | Camera 3 (LTD) |
| 1968–1969 | The Love of Don Perlimoplin and Belissa in the Garden |
| 1968–1969 | Blueprints |
| 1969–1970 | Under Milkwood |
| 1969–1970 | Sganagelle |
| 1970–1971 | Woyzeck |
| 1970–1971 | Journeys |
| 1971–1972 | My Third Eye |
| 1972–1973 | Gilgamesh |
| 1973–1974 | Optimism (or) The Misadventures of Candide |
| 1973–1974 | A Child's Christmas in Wales |
| 1974–1975 | The Dybbuk |
| 1974–1975 | Priscilla, Princess of Power |
| 1975–1976 | Parade |
| 1976–1977 | Four Saints in Three Acts |
| 1976–1977 | On the Harmfulness of Tobacco |
| 1977–1978 | The Three Musketeers |
| 1977–1978 | Sir Gawain and the Green Knight |
| 1977–1978 | Who Knows One |
| 1978–1979 | Volpone |
| 1978–1979 | Quite Early One Morning |
| 1979–1980 | Our Town |
| 1979–1980 | Four Thurber Tales (LTD) |
| 1979–1980 | The Wooden Boy |
| 1980–1981 | The Iliad: Play by Play |
| 1980–1981 | Silken Tent |
| 1981–1982 | The Ghost of Chastity Past |
| 1981–1982 | Gilgamesh |
| 1981–1982 | Issa's Treasure |
| 1981–1982 | The Road to Cordoba |
| 1982–1983 | Parzival, from the Horse's Mouth |
| 1982–1983 | Big Blue Marble (LTD) |
| 1983–1984 | The Hero with a Thousand Faces |
| 1984–1985 | All the Way Home |
| 1984–1985 | A Christmas Carol |
| 1984–1985 | A Child's Christmas in Wales |
| 1985–1986 | In a Grove |
| 1985–1986 | Race a Comet, Catch a Tale (LTD) |
| 1985–1986 | Farewell, My Lovely! |
| 1986–1987 | The Heart is a Lonely Hunter |
| 1986–1987 | The Gift of the Magi |
| 1987–1988 | The Dybbuk |
| 1987–1988 | A Child's Christmas in Wales |
| 1987–1988 | The Light Princess |
| 1988–1989 | King of Hearts |
| 1989–1990 | The Odyssey |
| 1990–1991 | One More Spring |
| 1990–1991 | Collaborates with Pilobolus |
| 1991–1992 | Treasure Island |
| 1992–1993 | Ophelia |
| 1992–1993 | Sports (LTD) |
| 1993–1994 | Under Milkwood |
| 1993–1994 | The Wonderful "O" (LTD) |
| 1994–1996 | Italian Straw Hat |
| 1996–1997 | Curiouser & Curioser |
| 1997–1998 | Peer Gynt |
| 1997–1998 | World of Whys (LTD) |
| 2020–2021 | Deafenstein |
References[edit]
- ^"Board".The National Theatre Of The Deaf.Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^"National Theatre of the Deaf - HISTORY".NTD.RetrievedApril 19,2018.
- ^"ABOUT the Little Theatre of the Deaf".NTD.RetrievedApril 19,2018.
- ^abc"National Theatre of the Deaf American Theatre Company".Britannica.RetrievedApril 3,2018.
- ^Powers, Helen (1972).Signs of Silence: Bernard Bragg and the National Theatre of the Deaf.New York: Dodd, Mead. p.51.ISBN9780396066125.
- ^Powers, Helen (1972).Signs of Silence: Bernard Bragg and the National Theatre of the Deaf.New York: Dodd, Mead. p. 72.
- ^Powers, Helen (1972).Signs of Silence: Bernard Bragg and the National Theatre of the Deaf.New York: Dodd, Mead. p. 119.
- ^abcdefghijkBaldwin, Stephen C. (1993).Pictures in the Air: The Story of the National Theatre of the Deaf.Washington, DC:Gallaudet University Press.ISBN9781563682223.
- ^"About Us".National Theatre of the Deaf.Retrieved2022-05-08.
- ^"National Theatre of the Deaf MISSION".NTD.RetrievedApril 19,2018.
- ^Powers, Helen (1972).Signs of Silence: Bernard Bragg and the National Theatre of the Deaf.New York: Dodd, Mead. p. 115.
- ^"Act One: It All Began on Metropolitan Street".BernardBragg.RetrievedApril 19,2018.
- ^"Honored With NTD Award".BernardBragg.RetrievedApril 19,2018.
- ^Smith, Helen C. "National theater troupe breathes life into words,"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,January 29, 1988.
- ^"Papers of Jane Norman, 1964-1980".Gallaudet University Archives.Retrieved2021-05-10.
- ^Bragg, Bernard (1989).Lessons in Laughter: The Autobiography of a Deaf Actor.Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.ISBN9780930323462.
Bibliography[edit]
- Cosh, Jackie. "Model lessons in a theatre for the deaf." The Times Educational Supplement Scotland 2274 (2012): 20.
- Hays, David. "The National Theatre of the Deaf." Deaf, The National Theatre of the. New York: The National Theatre of the Deaf (1969)
- Powers, Helen. "The National Theatre of the Deaf." (2021)
- Wells, Cortney. "A Decade of Deaf Theatre: An analysis of theatre within the Deaf Community, the expansion of its acceptance, and the influence it has today." (2016).
External links[edit]
| International | |
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| National | |
