Deaf West Theatre is a non-profit arts organization based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California, USA. It is most well known for its Tony Award-nominated productions of '' Big River'' and '' Spring Awakening''. Deaf West Theatre is led by Artistic Director, DJ Kurs.

History

Established in 1991 by Founding Artistic Director,

Ed Waterstreet Ed Waterstreet (born May 5, 1943 in Algoma, Wisconsin) is a Deaf American actor and the founder and artistic director of Deaf West Theatre, which was established in 1991, and was the first resident theatre company in America operating under the di ...

, Deaf West Theatre engages artists and audiences in unparalleled theater experiences inspired by Deaf culture and the expressive power of sign language. Committed to innovation, collaboration, and training, Deaf West Theatre is the artistic bridge between the deaf and hearing worlds. Deaf West productions are traditionally performed in American Sign Language with voice translation occurring at the same time so it is accessible to both deaf and hearing audiences. Deaf West has also held workshops for deaf youth who come from underprivileged communities and supported young deaf individuals who have a career in the arts. It is currently led by Artistic Director David Kurs.

Productions

Notable past productions include ''

Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 throug ...

'' by

Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes — for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and ''The Skin of Our Teeth'' — a ...

in a co-production with

Pasadena Playhouse The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California, United States. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engage ...

; ''

Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo ''Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo'' (formerly titled ''Peter & Jerry'') is a play by Edward Albee which adds a first act to his 1959 play ''The Zoo Story''. This first act, also called ''Homelife'', revolves around the marriage of Peter and An ...

'' in a co-production wit
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
'' Spring Awakening'', which transferred fro
Inner-City Arts
t
The Wallis Annenberg
and then to

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

where it received three

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

nominations, including Best Revival;

American Buffalo American Buffalo may refer to: *American Buffalo (play), ''American Buffalo'' (play), a play by David Mamet *American Buffalo (film), ''American Buffalo'' (film), a 1996 film of Mamet's play directed by Michael Corrente *American Buffalo (coin), a ...

, which was labeled a Los Angeles Times Critic's Choice;

Cyrano Cyrano may refer to: Astronomy * 3582 Cyrano, a small main belt asteroid * Cyrano (crater), a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon Stage and film * ''Cyrano'' (Damrosch), a 1913 opera by Walter Damrosch * ''Cyrano'', a 195 ...

, a co-production with the Fountain Theatre which received the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Production; '' Big River'' which received two

nominations (including Best Revival), ''

Pippin Pippin or Pepin may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Pippin (comics), ''Pippin'' (comics), a children's comic produced from 1966 to 1986 * Pippin (musical), ''Pippin'' (musical), a Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz loosely based on the life ...

'', produced at the

Mark Taper Forum The Mark Taper Forum is a 739-seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center designed by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of Downtown Los Angeles. Named for real estate developer Mark Taper, the Forum, the neighboring ...

in a co-production with

Center Theatre Group Center Theatre Group is a non-profit arts organization located in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the largest theatre companies in the nation, programming subscription seasons year-round at the Mark Taper Forum, the Ahmanson Theatre and th ...

; ''

Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a coming-of-age stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before op ...

'' which received the

Ovation Award The Ovation Awards are a Southern California award for excellence in theatre, established in 1989. They are given out by the non-profit arts service organization LA Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. Winne ...

for Best Musical, and ''

A Streetcar Named Desire ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of person ...

'' which received the

for Best Play.

Awards & Nominations

References

External links

*{{official, https://www.deafwest.org/ Theatres in California Deaf culture in the United States Deafness arts organizations Performing groups established in 1989 Theatre companies in California 1989 establishments in California Disability organizations based in the United States Disability theatre