NATIONAL THEATRE OF THE DEAF.   Term Paper ID:22756 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Origins & development of traveling troop of deaf actors; aims, funding, productions.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Origins & development of traveling troop of deaf actors; aims, funding, productions. Paper Introduction: National Theatre of the Deaf The National Theatre of the Deaf is a showcase for both deaf and hearing talent. Its purpose is to give an opportunity for deaf actors to develop their talent for audiences of all levels--adults, children, hearing and non-hearing. It is a traveling troupe with a rigorous schedule each year. The troupe travels for twenty-six weeks annually (Baldwin 45). It has been highly acclaimed both on the stage and in its television appearances. What began as a hope and wish for a small group of people is now a reality and a fully respected professional theatrical troupe. Before 1967, there was little professional entertainment for the deaf community. In the cities, organizations for the deaf put on amateur shows and mime presentations. There was no professional group of actors who were deaf or signed. A few Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Levine a well known psychologistwho worked with deaf clients (Baldwin 6). The O'Neill Center also realized that the NTD had grownbeyond the confines of the Center and needed autonomous control of itsbudget (Baldwin 64). These were well received by thehearing audience and the deaf community began to get used to the idea oftheatrical signing. Before 1967, there was little professional entertainment for the deafcommunity. Tyger! Bernard Bragg was the only professional actor to join the company. The favorable reception of the National Theatre of the Deaf has keptits schedule full every season since it began. The readers' voices clarify the motionswhich are signed on stage but remain secondary to the actors themselves(Powers 127). From the formation of the idea, of a traveling theatre of the deaf,to its reality took several years and a change of principle backers. Mary Switzer had again been instrumental infunding the fledgling National Theatre of the Deaf. A few productions had included deaf characters in theircast but these were played by hearing individuals and did not give the deafan avenue for self-expression. This group included the original members of the televisioncrew and some new members including a musician who could play sheet metal.The vibrations from the metals are used to cue the performers and to setthe mood of the play. National Theatre of the Deaf The National Theatre of the Deaf is a showcase for both deaf andhearing talent. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1972.----------------------- 7 Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet University Press, 1993.Barbour, David. There was no professional group of actors who weredeaf or signed. Hays presented the idea to White and White agreed with theconcept of a deaf theater. The Alexander Graham Bell Association viewed the presentation as anindication that signing was inevitable for all deaf children and thatsigning was an artificial language (Baldwin 21). In 1981, the NTD disassociated itself from the O'Neill Center. The O'Neill Center claimed a portion of each grant the NTD wasawarded. The objections of the Alexander Graham BellAssociation were eventually overridden and the show went on the air withNanette Fabray as the hostess. It was for this purpose that White purchased theproperty. Its purpose is to give an opportunity for deaf actors todevelop their talent for audiences of all levels--adults, children, hearingand non-hearing. The Broadway production of The Miracle Worker, with AnneBancroft, was accepted as the first production which included signedlanguage as an expressive medium (Baldwin9). andOther Burnings a collection of poems. The NTD is now located in Chester, Connecticut about twentyminutes away. A lot of people, both hearing and deaf, hadplayed a part in the founding of the NTD; with funding in place,it was nowtime to plan a first season tour. Works CitedBaldwin, Stephen C. Hays had seen the potential for beauty in the jointsigning and reading of a play. In deciding the pieces for production, Hays remembered TyronGuthrie's advice to use language and ornate it (Baldwin 23). In the cities, organizations for the deaf put on amateur showsand mime presentations. What was to become the Eugene O'Neill Centerwould also be home to the National Theatre of the Deaf along with severalother theater groups (Baldwin 17). Today the NTD is continuing to grow and to present talented people tothe hearing and deaf world. The planning grant for the National Theatre of the Deaf waswritten in 1966 and was approved in the amount of $16,5 (Baldwin 17).The money was allocated to finance an experimental production of Iphigeniain Aulis by Gallaudet College. The audienceof the show did not take long to view signing as "graceful fingerinterpretations" that embellished the actions and voices. Anne Bancroftrealized as she prepared for her part as Annie Sullivan that the deafcommunity had much to offer the world in drama. The localtownspeople had the idea that the property would be perfect for a theatercenter (Baldwin 16). In 1967, Bernard was the onlyprofessional actor available who was deaf to help form the National Theatreof the Deaf. The impetus for a deaf professional troupe of actors came from thehearing world. It had taken 8 yearsfor the NTD to become reality. From these people 14 deaf actors and 3 hearingreaders to participate in the productions of the first season. Theseason is highly successful as the NTD continues on its international tour. Beginning with the 1971-72 season,the NTD has at various times included their own works in their productionschedule (Baldwin 122). George White, a theater executive, became interested ina piece of property near Long Island Sound in Connecticut. Thirty-five deaf people from around the country were invited to theO'Neill Center. Ithas been highly acclaimed both on the stage and in its televisionappearances. "An Italian Straw Hat." TCI 29 (March 1995): 62.Powers Helen. While the show was taping, the O'Neill Center received the news thata grant for $331, had been awarded to the foundation by the VocationalRehabilitation Administration. Poetry has also enjoyed aspecial place in the NTD repertoire. Dr. Levine and Hays met with Mary Switzer of the RehabilitationServices Administration of the Department of Health, Education, andWelfare. He did not comprehend that the AlexanderGraham Bell Association would protest the airing of the NBC Special asdetrimental to the education and prejudicial to the deaf community (Baldwin21). The two conceived of the idea of a theater of the deaf. Theculmination of the group's first effort was the production of Iphigenia inAulis and the taping of a special on deaf performers using their art forhearing audiences for an NBC Special (Powers 119). AnneBancroft eventually dropped out of the picture as her work schedule becametoo involved, but she had interested the right people to continue theproject. Pictures in the Air: The Story of the National Theatre of the Deaf. Hays answered the chargesof the Alexander Graham Bell Association by appealing to the culturalaspects of the birth of a theatre movement, the ability of the theatre toshow highly gifted people to the hearing world and to potential employersof the deaf (Powers 121). This was in 1959. Narrators skillfully spoke the lines as theactors simultaneously spoke them. Until this point, David Hays had not been aware of thepotential problem he faced from the oral camp of the deaf and hard-of-hearing population. The NTD has taken liberties with the scriptand changed the time period and placed the Eiffel Tower center stage. Bernard Bragg, who was deaf, performed onstage as a professional mime, at this time; mime was the only route to theprofessional stage for a deaf person. Dr. Levine was as adept atgetting the public to recognize the needs of the deaf for culture as AnneBancroft was at getting the public's attention at the box office (Baldwin6). The NBC Special opened up the debate on oralism verse manualism inthe theatre. The production's goal was to prove that anall deaf cast was capable of developing into a professional acting company. Anne Bancroft prepared for her part as AnnieSullivan by immersing herself in the deaf culture. The troupe travels for twenty-six weeks annually (Baldwin 45). She visited deafschools, organizations, and met Edna S. Signs of Silence. It is a traveling troupe with a rigorous schedule eachyear. Oriental forms of theaterwere especially well received and the troupe has continued to include thesein its repertoire over the years (Baldwin 35). White contacted David Hays, who had already been included in theconcept of a theater of the deaf by Bancroft, about the idea of a newtheater center. Costumes weredesigned so that the actors hands would be visible throughout theproductions (Barbour 62). The first season's productions consisted of The Man with HisHeart int he Highlands, a play; The Tale of Kasane, a japanese Kabuki play;a nonoperatic version of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi; and Tyger! Dr. Levine continued to push for federal funding whenever theopportunity arose. When the Regan Administration was coming into office, Haysrealized that the NTD could no longer afford to share their grant moneys(Baldwin 63). Hayshas said that the move away from the O'Neill Center was for financialreasons. The 1995 season is presenting An Italian StrawHat, a comedy (Barbour 62). What began as a hope and wish for a small group of people isnow a reality and a fully respected professional theatrical troupe. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.