Third Annual National Deaf High School Theatre Festival to Take Place January-March 2023

Deaf West Theatre is again partnering with the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind for the third annual National Deaf High School Theatre Festival, a hybrid-virtual and in-person educational theatrical competition for young Deaf actors across the United States.

The in-person festival will be held March 16-19, 2023 in Salt Lake City, with the final community performance being live-streamed to a national audience on Stellar. The virtual festival will be held January 30 through March 10. The deadline to register for both is January 20, 2023. For more information, to submit for consideration, and for complete Festival rules and guidelines, please visit deafwest.org/festival.

Teaching Artists for the 2023 festival will include renowned artists from the Deaf community including Jonaz McMillan, who also serves as this year's Festival Programmer and Coordinator, Storm Smith, Renca Dunn, and Sunshine 2.0 from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Additional teaching artists to be announced at a later date.

The NDHSTF gives young Deaf performers the ability to perform on a national stage, refine their skills through competition and feedback, use American Sign Language (ASL) as their medium for acting, experience professional theatre in an accessible language, and socialize with like-minded Deaf peers.

Building on the work started by USDB and Sunshine 2.0 in 2020, the 2022 festival partnered with the Tony Award® winning Deaf West Theatre to create a truly rich and unique experience for over 100 participating students from across the country. In addition, artists and educators presented workshops, bringing real-world training to the table. Previous instructors have included Sundance and SAG Award-winner Daniel Durant (CODA), Natasha Ofili ("The Politician"), DJ Kurs (Deaf West Theatre), comedian Harold Foxx, and members of the performing troupe Sunshine 2.0 of NTID.

The National Deaf High School Theatre Festival is presented by Deaf West Theatre and the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind, and made possible by the generous support from The Kimball Family Fund.

ABOUT Deaf West Theatre

Founded in Los Angeles in 1991, Tony Award®-winning Deaf West Theatre (Artistic Director, DJ Kurs), engages artists and audiences in unparalleled theater experiences inspired by Deaf culture and the expressive power of sign language, weaving American Sign Language (ASL) with spoken English to create a seamless ballet of movement and voice. Committed to innovation, collaboration, and training, Deaf West Theatre is the artistic bridge between the Deaf and hearing worlds and a trusted resource for authentic storytelling and casting in film, television, and video projects.

Deaf West's groundbreaking Broadway productions of Big River and Spring Awakening reinvented what is possible for the stage, and are excited to be partnering with Vendôme Pictures and Pathé Films on the upcoming stage adaptation of the 2022 Academy Award-winning Best Picture CODA. Deaf West recently collaborated with The Getty Villa on a fresh and thrilling new adaptation of Oedipus, and with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel on the groundbreaking production of Fidelio. In 2005, Deaf West Theatre was selected to receive the Highest Recognition Award by the Secretary of Health and Human Services for its "distinguished contributions to improve and enrich the culture lives of Deaf and hard of hearing actors and theater patrons.

The Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind

The Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB) has been serving students with sensory impairments throughout Utah for over 100 years! The schools began in 1884 by the Territorial Legislature after a message from Governor Eli Murray which emphasized the need for a school for the deaf. Twelve years later in 1896, as Utah attained statehood, the members of the Constitutional Convention created the school for the blind. Recognizing the appropriateness of services for both visually and hearing-impaired individuals, Utah's first lawmakers established the "Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind." USDB was given their first home at Ogden's old Territorial Reform School.

The courageous spirit that provided a national model for deaf and blind education in 1884 is still forging the way in teaching the deaf and the blind to be self-reliant and contributing citizens of their communities. Outreach and mainstreaming efforts offer students an educational program whereby each individual can progress toward his or her highest potential.

Over the years, services provided by the USDB have continued to meet the changing needs of students and families through modern technology and teaching strategies. The commitment of the schools to high quality services for deaf and blind children is as great as it ever was.

About Stellar

Stellar is the only full-service livestream partner for professional live entertainment organizers, committed to delivering premium interactive online shows to paying audiences. Stellar's industry-leading platform enables producers and artists to sell tickets to a global audience, manage customer data, securely stream events, and accept payments - while providing full technical support and guidance along the way. The platform has grossed millions in ticket and merchandise revenue and generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations. Fans from around the world now have access to the best online live events, streaming to multiple devices with high-quality audio/video and interactive features.

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