Deaf West Theatre Announces Retirement of Ed Waterstreet, Appoints David J. Kurs Successor

The board of directors of Deaf West Theatre, under the leadership of board president Mark Freund, announced today the retirement of founding artistic directorEd Waterstreet after 21 years and the appointment of David J. Kurs as the new artistic director.

Ed Waterstreet became the first deaf artistic director of an American theater company when he founded Deaf West Theatre in 1991. Under his leadership, DWT has produced 40 plays and four musicals, including a Broadway run, and won more than 80 theater awards, among them Tony Honors for Excellence. Previously, Ed was a 12-year member of The National Theatre of the Deaf. He starred in the Emmy-winning Hallmark movie, Love Is Never Silent. Ed is also the recipient of Geneva’s prestigious International Fete d’Excellence Gold Medal Award for Cultural Education in the Theatre and the James A. Doolittle Ovation Award for Leadership in the Theatre.

David J. Kurs will be Deaf West Theatre’s second artistic director in its 21-year history. Previously, he served as the company’s artistic associate; was an associate producer and ASL master on Deaf West productions of Pinocchio (2011), My Sister in This House (2010) and Children of a Lesser God (2009); and wroteAesop Who (2008). A native of Riverside, CA and graduate of Gallaudet University, he began his career as a script reader at Jersey Films, the Production Company of Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, and Stacey Sher. He has worked as a freelance writer and producer of a variety of documentary, commercial, theatrical and narrative projects. Kurs maintains strong ties with the national and local deaf community. He has served as the President of the Board of Directors at GLAD (the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness) and is the co-chair of TEDxIslay, a TED affiliate entering its third year.

“I am proud of the opportunities that our theater has given to deaf actors, many of whom have gone on to work in film and television,” said Mr. Waterstreet. “I am still amazed at the company's success after 20-plus years: from a small theater, to the Mark Taper Forum, to Broadway, nation-wide tours, Japan, and the Tony nomination. I sat in the audience next to The Princess of Japan when Big River toured Japan.”

“It is a great honor to follow in the steps of Ed Waterstreet,” commented Mr. Kurs. “I have been a dedicated fan of Deaf West Theatre ever since my definition of theater was shaped as a teenager, when I saw Deaf West’s production of The Gin Game in 1991. Deaf West Theatre is an important artistic home for the Deaf community. I look forward to continuing the Deaf West vision of bridging the deaf and hearing worlds, and to leading the company to new heights of artistic success. My immediate priority will be to seek additional funding to bolster Deaf West's current programming slate.”

About Deaf West Theatre

Deaf West Theatre, Inc. (DWT) was founded in 1991 to directly improve and enrich the cultural lives of thousands of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who live in the Los Angeles area. For its unique vision and artistic excellence throughout its 21-year history, DWT is recognized as the premier sign language theater in the United States. DWT has consistently strived for the highest artistic quality by bringing together some of the most exciting theater professionals from the hearing world to work with deaf and hard of hearing actors of the highest caliber in ambitious American Sign Language adaptations that range from contemporary masterpieces and original works to the classics. DWT has helped launch and nurture the careers of many of today's most recognizable deaf actors. DWT's productions and internationally acclaimed educational programs have contributed significantly to the vibrancy of deaf culture and American theater. For more information, please go tohttp://www.deafwest.org or http://www.facebook.com/deafwesttheatre.

Deaf West is currently co-producing, with The Fountain Theatre, the world premiere of Cyrano, a modern day re-imagined version of “Cyrano de Bergerac” with a sign language spin on the classic love story. For tickets: www.fountaintheatre.com or (323) 663-1525.

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