Deaf Theater Essay

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Today, deaf theater is well known and absolutely accepted in society. There are countless movies, television shows, and plays that are famous because of deaf performers that brought it to life. In this paper you will learn about the history of deaf theater and performance arts, a few modern deaf role models, the impact theater and performance had on the Deaf community and The National Theater of the Deaf. Deaf theater is a major way that the deaf and hard of hearing community expresses their culture to the world.

Though deaf theater and performance arts is accepted in today’s society, it has not always been that way. The Milan Conference, in 1880 a group of representatives again ASL got together to ban the teaching ASL, had a huge impact on …show more content…

“There are so many people, deaf or otherwise abled, who are so talented but overlooked or not given a chance to even get their foot in the door” (Matlin, 2011).

The National Theater of the Deaf (NTD) began in 1967. According to the NTD website, the National Theater of the Deaf comprised of both hearing and deaf actors and has been touring the nation for over 45 years. The idea for the NTD was sparked after a production in 1950 of The Miracle Worker on Broadway. The NTD helped bring theater into a new light for the deaf, and that is wasn’t just for the hearing population.
The productions produced by the NTD are performed in ASL as well as spoken simultaneously. The NTD helped portray american sign language as the beautiful visual language and an entirely new art form. In 1968 the NTD created a new group called The
Little Theater of the Deaf in order to reach out to younger audiences. In 1977 the NTD received a Tony Award for Theatrical Excellence. The NTD is still producing amazing performers today and are celebrating almost 50 years of performing.

Conclusively, we can see the huge impact that theater and performance arts …show more content…

We can also see that theater and performance arts for the Deaf have come a long journey from where it was many years ago. Thankfully most people nowadays are more willing to accept different cultures and new communities. References:
Daniel, Alice. “Raising Her Voice.” Success, 15 Nov. 2011, www.success.com/article/raising-her-voice. Baldwin, S. (1993). Pictures in the Air: The Story of the National
Theater of the Deaf. Washington, D.C.. Gallaudet University Press.
Berke, Jamie. “History of Theater in the Deaf Community.” Verywell, 12 Sept. 2016, www.verywell.com/deaf-culture-deaf-theatre-1048592. Kurs, DJ. “American Sign Language in Theatre and Its Impact or, Why We Need More
Deaf Actors Onstage.” HowlRound, 5 Apr. 2016,

howlround.com/american-sign-language-in-theatre-and-social-advancement-or-why-we- need-more-deaf-actors-onstage. “About The National Theatre of the Deaf.” The National Theatre of the Deaf, www.ntd.org/ntd_about.html. “Nonfiction Book Review: Pictures in the Air: The Story of the National Theatre of the
Deaf by Stephen C. Baldwin, Author Gallaudet University Press $29.95 (158p) ISBN
978-1-56368-025-0.” PublishersWeekly.com,

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