A BEACON OF DEAF
THEATRE

Connecticut Deaf Theatre carries the shining torch of its roots of New England into future generations while reflecting the spectrum of the Deaf lens.

WHO WE ARE

Connecticut Deaf Theatre provides theatrical experiences showcasing American Sign Language and Deaf Culture through performing arts and artistic efforts in the state of Connecticut and the region of New England.

Established in 2020, CDT is a 501C3 nonprofit tax-exempt professional theatre company that trains and employs Deaf, DeafBlind, Deaf+, Hard of Hearing, and hearing artists with a model for collaboration bringing harmony between diverse peoples and languages.

Paving the Way

In Connecticut in 1967, The National Theatre of the Deaf was established. A pioneer in the Deaf theatre community, NTD went on to perform and tour globally, including Sesame Street, Broadway, the Eugene O’Neill Center, transforming perceptions and representation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people around the world.

In June 2020, The National Theatre of the Deaf announced the organization had selected Washington D.C. as its new headquarters. Connecticut Deaf Theatre manifested as Connecticut’s new chapter moving forward, and aims to carry on the legacy while reflecting the breadth of what New England has to offer.

Behind our Logo

This logo depicts a shining light emerging from an open, imaginative hand. Inspired by the iconic ghost light that graces every stage in the dark, this light represents the strength of the artistic and theatrical community in Connecticut and New England. With a rich history in our past and magic in our hands, the impossible becomes possible!

Designed by Deaf graphic designer Sheena Stuart frrom Design to Glow, this logo perfectly captures the work we want to do in illuminating the future for Deaf theatre and being creative with our artistic and theatrical programming.

Our Values

American Sign Language

Our American Sign Language (ASL) performances bring exposure to a vital language for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people, while showcasing the beauty of our language and culture.

Diversity and Inclusion

Everyone has a unique story. Our programming explores life experiences of people across the Deaf spectrum, enriching the world around us through perspectives of cultural, racial, ethnic, religion, age, sex/gender, sexual orientation, ability and other identities.

Cultural Enrichment

Cultures grow and evolve based on human experiences we share. We uplift our diverse cultures by connecting communities together.

Equal Opportunities

The journey of exploration in performing arts is infinite. We welcome people from any path of life to join our adventure and discover themselves while developing skills.

Full Access

Accessibility plays a vital role in the life of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people worldwide. We strive to provide full accessibility to all audiences while modeling ideal standards.

What We Have Been Up To?

THAT Festival, which stands for Theatre, Humanities, & the Arts, Together, will take place at HH Stonewall Community Farm on October 7-8, from 10 AM - 6 PM. We will provide live music, performances, vendors, food trucks, coffee trailer, ice cream, and include activities such as face painting, hayrides, and pumpkin painting. Headlining the festival will be our workshop of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, an immersive production developed by 10 Deaf theatre artists this past June.

For our headlining performance, 10 Deaf theatre artists from various disciplines including acting, ASL translation, dance, and playwriting came together to innovate a way to make an immersive Grimm experience. From June 17th to 25th, the group gathered in Hartford. We rehearsed at Sea Tea Improv Studios and lodged at the Capitol Hotel, both on historic Asylum Street, named after the former location of what is now American School for the Deaf. Together, the artists combined six Brothers Grimm stories into an immersive escape room experience for all, The Four Realms. Come see it!

We hosted our first virtual workshop, “So You Want To Be An Influencer?” on February 24th with 50 people in attendance. We invited Rikki Poynter, Leila Hanaumi, and Arlene Ngalle to provide an informative, entertaining event that reached audiences of all ages and experiences. This workshop was structured to educate and illuminate about the experiences of Deaf individuals on social media and how to build your platform to attract followers and income as well as taking care of yourself in the process.

We also hosted “So You Want to be an Influencer?” workshop with influential Deaf social media personalities, Rikki Poynter, Leila Hanaumi, and Arlene Ngalle.

Later that year, CDT worked with Michelle Banks of Visionaries of the Creative Arts, a theatre organization in Washington DC and Monique Holt of Gallaudet University Theatre and Dance Program, two notable Directors of Artistic Sign Language and theatre artists in the theatre industry, to host “An Open Conversation with DASLs” on January 28. The virtual event was successful with attendees and hosts breaking into groups to discuss trends and themes within the industry and taking steps to compile guidelines and manuals for current and future directors to use.

We’ve also made a splash with online events, accessible to all. With the collaboration of Michelle Banks and Monique Holt, an Open Conversation for Directors of Artistic Sign Language was facilitated, with over 30 DASLs joining from across the country.

Our theatrical production, A Not-So-Quiet Place took place on October 28, a Halloween-themed cabaret-style show with guests from all over the New England region. Hosted at American School for the Deaf, we had performers in ASL poetry, ASL storytelling, musical performance, comedy, and dance. We had a great turnout with a full house!

This past summer, we launched our Professional Development Series, featuring 14 videos from Deaf and Hard of Hearing theatre professionals, sharing unique knowledge useful for emerging and established artists. 

We collaborated with the National Theatre of the Deaf and Gallaudet University to produce a  student-led and student-run bubble workshop of an original script called Deafenstein, written by Anna Wood-Jacobowitz. It was produced and performed in the spring, and streamed in 2021 during the fall season. 

Meet the Board

CDT shares its gratitude to our dedicated board members for their contributions and advancement of Deaf arts and theatre. Thank you for all you do, board members!

Chair
Patrick Fischer
Vice Chair
Crom Saunders
Vice Chair
Jo Hanna
Treasurer
Jon Sahlin
Treasurer
Jon Sahlin
Board Member
Julie Pond
Board Member
Julie Pond
Board Member
Niki Mallach

Interested in becoming involved in our initiatives?

We are seeking volunteers for the following:

THAT Festival

THAT Festival, taking place at HH Stonewall Community Farm from October 7-8, will be a gathering of artists, programs, businesses, and organizations that uplift Deaf and Disabled people in the fields of Theatre, Humanities, and Arts. We are seeking Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and DeafDisabled artists, performers, vendors for our main spaces of the festival. We also are looking for volunteers, interpreters, and medics who are familiar with the community and language and who want to help out!

learn more

The Four Realms

The Four Realms, the immersive Brothers Grimm experience that will headline THAT Festival in October 7-8, is seeking actors for available roles. The story takes you through a quest where you travel through a combination of 6 Grimm stories through ASL, dance, VV, and gesture, and restore order in the realms. Be a part of this immersive experience as a crew member and usher - we are also seeking volunteers!

learn more

Send us a message and we will be in touch!