Playwright Stephen
Sachs has adapted his original play, Sweet Nothing In My Ear, for a Hallmark Hall of Fame
television movie set to air on CBS in April. Sweet Nothing in My Ear
had its world premiere in 1997 at The
Fountain Theatre, where
Sachs is co-artistic director. The television version of Sweet Nothing,
now shooting, is directed by Emmy Award-winning Joseph Sargent and stars
Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin and Golden Globe winner Jeff Daniels.
In
Sweet Nothing in My Ear, Laura, who is deaf, and Dan, who is hearing,
are an attractive young couple happily married for nine years. Their son
Adam was born hearing, but by age six has also become deaf. When Dan
decides to pursue the possibility of a cochlear implant for his boy - a tiny computer
chip inserted in the brain that would allow him to regain his hearing - a
divisive wedge is driven between husband and wife that threatens to shatter
their marriage.
Sachs began working with Deaf actors prior to co-founding The Fountain Theatre,
and he helped Ed Waterstreet launch L.A.'s
Deaf West Theatre at the Fountain in 1991. Waterstreet has a co-starring
role in the Hallmark Hall of Fame film, along with Phyllis Frelich who garnered
a Tony Award for her work in
Children of a Lesser God - in the same role
for which Matlin was given the Oscar in the subsequent film version
.
Sweet Nothing in My Ear marks the first time the two actresses have worked
together; they star as mother and daughter.
In addition to directing The Fountain Theatre's critically-acclaimed,
award-winning premiere of
Sweet Nothing in My Ear, Sachs directed his
play at Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis and
at Victory Gardens
in
Chicago.
Sweet Nothing in My Ear was published by Dramatic Publishing in 1999 and
was a finalist for the PEN USA Literary Award. Sachs is also the author
of seven other produced plays and adaptations including
Miss Julie Freedom Summer, Gilgamesh, Open Window, Central Avenue,
Mother's Day, Razkazy and
The Baron In The Trees. For his work as a director and a
playwright, Sachs has been featured in
The New York Times,
Los
Angeles Times,
San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, American
Theatre, Los Angeles magazine,
Back Stage, Variety, Hollywood Reporter,
L.A. Stage magazine, the
London Times and on
National Public
Radio.
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