Stage Directions: Deaf West Theatre has pioneered the concept of theatre for deaf audiences, incorporating deaf theatre artists, for nearly three decades—and it’s only just begun to hit its stride. Ed Waterstreet, an accomplished stage actor known through the Los Angeles theatre community, served as founder and artistic director of Deaf West. From its home base in North Hollywood, Deaf West became the first company to incorporate American Sign Language for Southern California audiences, with a view toward serving the 1.2 million hearing impaired individuals in LA county. The company’s message has now expanded far beyond the west, as it brought critically and commercially successful productions of Big River and Spring Awakening to Broadway. In 2012, respected theatre artist David Kurs became the company’s new artistic director; together, Kurs and Waterstreet maintain their key commitment to offer deaf actors, directors and playwrights the opportunity to do the work they want to do, unfettered. They do it through creative resolve, artistic generosity and a highly honed technical process.
2 comments:
With all the technological advancement for disabilities its no wonder deaf theater did so well. With things like the 3-d printed fetus for blind mothers or the artist who turns sounds into painting through a computer program, technology has been a major factor in the development of art, and that included theater. I can't image trying to accomplish what they did from a sound designers point of view, with all the different technology and techniques it must have been challenging. Almost ironic just how involved the sound team was with a performance catering to the deaf.
I agree with Claire that I am always stunned by the work technicians and artists do together to influence the world around them, including developments in theatre and the inclusion of new audiences. This deaf theatre company has done so well including audience members who get to see themselves in the performers on stage and experience an art form they usually have no access to. It's also great to read how the theatre inspires non-deaf audience members as well, like the singer who incorporated deaf actors into her music video. One question I had after reading this was how are deaf actors trained, how do they incorporate ASL into blocking, and are directors bilingual in ASL and English? I love the collaborative challenge this theatre poses and how the audience reaps the benefits in a variety of different ways from an almost new art form.
Post a Comment