Around 15 percent of Americans have trouble hearing, . For the , performing arts organizations rarely offer disability resources and programming geared towards the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
North Texas Performing Arts鈥� new Deaf Theatre program aims to change that, with productions and educational programming by and for the deaf community. The goal is not only for people who are deaf and hard of hearing to enjoy the art form, but to see themselves on stage as performers.
鈥淲e want to make sure that they feel like they are at home and with us,鈥� said the program鈥檚 director, Daymond Sands, via an American Sign Language interpreter. 鈥淭hey can really build that dream for themselves and with us, they can see the pathway more clearly. Like in 鈥楾he Wizard of Oz,鈥� I think that NTPA set up that yellow brick road.鈥�
Unfortunately, North Texas has a long way to go to make the arts more accessible, said Darrell Rodenbaugh, CEO of NTPA. Programs like this one may be a start, not only for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but for the region.
鈥�There's a nationally known program on the West Coast. There's one in the D.C. area. But there's really nothing in the middle of the country,鈥� Rodenbaugh said. 鈥淎nd our objective is to create that sort of beachhead for theater in the middle part of the country.鈥�
The Deaf Theatre initiative launched last summer with a pilot theater camp program for children. The initiative led to the program鈥檚 first performance, 鈥淒eaf Theatre Showcase: A Union of Hands and Voices.鈥� The showcase featured a diverse cast of 33 hearing and non-hearing performers ages 8 and above.
The Deaf Theatre鈥檚 upcoming programming includes youth camps, a Christmas show in November, and other ASL-interpreted performances throughout the year.
鈥淲hat I think is unique about this is we've created a board of directors that is made up of either individuals who are themselves deaf, or they have a son or daughter family member who is deaf,鈥� Rodenbaugh said. 鈥淚t's not the hearing population trying to dictate what the deaf community needs or wants. It is truly the deaf community coming together and saying, this is what we want to do. This is the path we need to take. These are the shows that we want to do.鈥�
Details: The NTPA Deaf Theatre will be putting on 鈥� at the NTPA Willow Bend Center of the Arts in Plano starting November 17.
Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and 四虎影院.
This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and 四虎影院 retain full editorial control of Arts Access鈥� journalism.
