Welcome to the new NTD website!
This is part of our new direction to connect with our friends and supporters. Two individuals need to be recognized in helping making this new website happen – Shane Feldman, NTD Special Projects Consultant and Ty Giordano, NTD Board Member.
You will see a rendering of various scenes representing the NTD over 50 years of existence. Starting in 1967, the bold undertaking of presenting plays by both deaf and hearing actors utilizing innovative art form through American Sign language and Spoken English, enabling the audience members to see signs and to hear every word. This has become the trademark of what is known as NTD style in making theatrical presentations accessible to deaf and hearing theatre goers over the years.
During FY 2017-2018, largely due to financial difficulties faced by the State of Connecticut, the NTD and other arts & cultural organizations in Connecticut experienced finance and/or survival issues. NTD Board decided to opt for survival and made important strategic decisions: continue to communicate and work with state government officials and others dealing with fiscal issues until previously approved state appropriation funding in part was restored before the end of that fiscal year.
These decisions include a reduction in expenditures; relocating the NTD office with the O’Neill Theatre Center from New London back to ASD campus in West Hartford; and continuing with some program goals, planned for the 50th Anniversary Year, including the Theatre Immersion Program (TIP) for High School Students in collaboration with the American School for the Deaf (ASD) in Summer 2018 with the support of the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and the Ensworth Charitable Foundation. This program was initiated by Betty Beekman, former NTD Executive Director, who resigned/retired after serving for a span of 35 years in a variety of roles within the theatre company.
Now, with the full state-appropriated funding, the NTD Board made office and programming and office reorganization decisions by contracting three individuals to work part-time in three areas of need: Steven Simmon in film/media inventory; Richard Morris in content management, especially archival materials/inventory; and Shane Feldman in the area of Strategic Projects, focusing on strategic partnerships and the development and implementation of this new website. After TIP Summer 2019, which is made possible with the support of the State of Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development/Office of the Arts, we will consider other possible theatre engagements/partnerships.
As you can see, NTD is moving ahead towards the next 50 years, knowing that we will continue to experience successes and struggles, a familiar story of an American non-profit theatre company. The most important thing is that we are still around and continuing the good work started in Connecticut some 50+ years ago led by a pioneering band of actors and staff led by David Hays, Founder & Artistic Director and Bernard Bragg, Co-Founder, First Actor, and Sign Master.
With the continued interest and support of friends and supporters, NTD can and will persevere! Enjoy the new NTD website!
Thank you,
Harvey
Dr. Harvey J. Corson, Board Chair
National Theatre of the Deaf, Inc.