National Theatre of the Deaf Begins Fall Tour

The National Theatre of the Deaf has launched their Fall Touring Season with a varied and comprehensive bill featuring: Two by Twain -Experience of the McWilliamses directed by Guest Artist Joey Caverly and Mrs. McWilliams and the Lightning directed by Guest Artist William C. Martin. These two comic gems are ushered onstage by a curtain warmer of American Poets all presented in the unique theatrical style created by NTD. The talented company is comprised of:

Uka Beganaj, Danny Biland, Chrissy Cogswell, and Benjamin David Knight.

The acclaimed theatre for young audiences continues with It's in the Bag. The audience may discover a mystery story, a fable, tangram puzzles, improvisations, and much more! Starting with Knowing the Ropes, NTD challenges the cast to create shapes, twists and turns with ropes to teach signs. The students will have fun with the company as they combine visually exciting American Sign Language with the Spoken Word in a performance that needs to be seen, heard and will be long-remembered!

A Show of Hands allows the audience to see the National Theatre of the Deaf explore American Sign Language from behind the curtain-literally! Concealed behind a slotted curtain, actors poke their hands out in Hand Puppets to create scenery, tell stories, make jokes, and teach American Sign Language. Following the introduction students will enjoy poems, stories, fables, and improvisation.

About William C. Martin (Guest Artist Director)- He began his career as an actor and director. After establishing himself in New York and in regional theatre, the influential lighting designer Peggy Clark-Kelly, introduced him to the Straw Hat Circuit. Martin has worked with choreographer Jean Erdman, Isamu Noguchi and the internationally renowned author Joseph Campbell at Theatre of the Open Eye. He handled marketing large-scale theatrical touring and performing arts presenting at The Bushnell in Hartford, CT making it one of the top grossing performance venues in the United States. His next move was to Broadway, where he was responsible for the sales and marketing of Miss Saigon, produced by British impresario, Cameron Mackintosh. Martin helped to secure the largest pre-opening gross in the history of Broadway totaling more than $40 million in cash sales. In 2005, he and producing partners Eve Holbrook and Michael Moore brought HAl Holbrook back to Broadway in his 50th Anniversary production of Mark Twain Tonight! He is currently working on a second draft of a novel and a new musical based on the life and diamonds of Evelyn Walsh Mclean.

About Joey Caverly (Guest Artist Director)-He is a former actor with the National Theatre of the Deaf. He recently came off a successful run of Tribes at Boston's SpeakEasy Theatre Company, Washington DC's Studio Theatre, and Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Other acting works: "Journey of Identity;" "A Child's Christmas in Wales," "Christmas Past and Presents;" "Stories In My Pocket Too," with the National Theatre of the Deaf. Additional credits include, "Tales of Honor and Anchovies," and several others at Gallaudet University. He gained recognition at the regional division of Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for his directing work of "Noises Off "in 2011.

Coming soon - a performance of excerpts from John Basinger's THE KING, based on the title character in William Shakespeare's KING LEAR. Directed by Mr. Basinger and featuring Patrick Graybill as the King. Mr. Graybill also developed the Deaf Theatre adaptation of THE KING. The performance by invitation is on October 18 at 7:30pm in the Margo and Rufus Rose Barn at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center in Waterford, CT and, at Gallaudet University at 12:00 noon on October 22, in Elstad Auditorium.

To book a performance, workshop or residency for NTD, interested parties should contact the Tour Department at tour@ntd.org. Each performance is approximately 50-55 minutes in length and will be performed simultaneously in ASL and the spoken word.

Funding for NTD is provided by: The Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving; J. Walton Bissell Foundation; Ensworth Charitable Foundation and Frank Loomis Palmer Fund, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee; Eugene O'Neill Theater Center; Frederick Loewe Foundation; Hygienic Art; Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation; Veolia, City of New London Water Authority Community Fund, with the support of the State of Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and our kind donors.

For more information about NTD/LTD log on to www.ntd.org. To contact the NTD offices call 860-574-9063, VP (video phone) 860-607-1338

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