Research Paper on:
Theatre for the Deaf

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
This sentiment was articulated by David Hays, founder and artistic director of the renowned National Theatre for the Deaf. The stage has historically represented a complex cultural tapestry  of people and ideas, but there had been one group without representation - the deaf. There are deaf people inhabiting every country in the world. They are vital,  intelligent and creative people who simply, for whatever reason, are unable to hear. Unfortunately, because "deafness is invisible," the prejudice surrounding the deaf often goes unnoticed (Hays, 1990).  Out of ignorance grew a stigma that deafness was synonymous with retardation, and unfortunately, there were no deaf role models to correct that gross misconception (Hays, 1990). Because the  deaf have been, throughout the world, largely excluded from the social mainstream, for many years they lacked the creative resources to express their own distinctive communication and culture. The notion  of a professional touring company consisting of deaf artists was developed back in the 1950s by psychologist Dr. Edna Simon Levine, who specialized in deaf studies (Hays, 1990). She  pitched her proposal to the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW), and eventually received the attention of director Arthur Penn and actress Anne Bancroft, who had one a Tony  Award for her performance as Helen Kellers teacher Anne Sullivan in The Miracle Worker (Hays, 1990). By 1965, a grant from HEW generated the necessary funds to found a  company that would specialize in providing theatrical entertainment by the deaf and for the deaf (Hays, 1990). In the summer of 1967, the National Theatre for the Deaf (NTD),  a professional training facility and touring company for deaf performers was established in Connecticut (Conley, 2001). Although the NTD now features both deaf and hearing actors (who deliver performances