Staff List
Aaron M. Kubey, Executive Director/President
Betty Beekman, Tour Director
Dr. Jonathan H. Spinner, Development Director
William C. Martin, Marketing/PR Director
Elena Blue, Professional Theatre School Coordinator
George Ghista, Accountant
Kathy Strauss, Company Interpreter
Creative Staff Biographies
Aaron M. Kubey - Executive Director/President; Director-Tree WiseAaron M. Kubey, the first Deaf Executive Director/President of the National Theatre of the Deaf, earned his B.F.A degree in Theatre Studies at DePaul Theatre School in Chicago, Illinois. Aaron was the first Deaf student to graduate from this prestigious institution. Aaron co-starred in Breaking Through (now known as After the Silence) with Kellie Martin and Jo Beth Williams and he also appeared on "Ellen". He toured with the Model Secondary School for the Deaf's Road Show to the Netherlands, Belgium, Puerto Rico, as well as the eastern seaboard of the US. More recently, Mr. Kubey ran the New York Deaf Theatre Company. Last season, Aaron re-vamped and updated NTD workshops giving specialized training to the acting company. Tree Wise is the first to be helmed by Aaron, with many more in the works. Mr. Kubey also ran the New York Deaf Theatre Company. He has directed Tree Wise for NTD and will be directing Each of Us for Teatteri Totti, a Deaf Finnish theatre company, fall 2010, in Helsinki, Finland.
Betty Beekman - Tour Director; Director/Writer-Un-Brella; Creator/Director-Stories In My Pocket
Through the years in working with the National Theatre of the Deaf, Betty has played a part in many different areas of the NTD creative as well as management teams. She has taught Sign Language techniques at the NTD Professional Theatre School. When NTD was home based in Chester, CT, Betty was in charge and taught the community sign language/outreach program. For many years, she directed the company's Storytelling Hours on the Green in Chester, directed freelance work, and worked as Education and Outreach Coordinator as well as Tour Director. Betty has also written the Little Theatre of the Deaf's Learn and Study Together Guide for the past five seasons. Betty has directed Little Theatre of the Deaf performances off and on since 1983, including the current Un-Brella piece which she also wrote. She has designed lighting for the NTD national tour of All the Way Home, directed by Colleen Dewhurst and A Christmas Carol. Betty has Stage Managed eighteen of the NTD national main stage tours, twelve foreign tours and three television programs for WGBH "Festival of Hands Series: The Silken Tent", the "Road to Cordoba" and "Issa's Treasure," for which she also did voice over work.
