New York Deaf Theatre Announces 40th Anniversary Virtual Gala

New York Deaf Theatre has announced their 40th Anniversary Gala. This year NYDT honoring Obie Award nominee, Deaf actress and advocate, Alexandria Wailes, alongside newly appointed Artistic Director of Playwrights Horizons, Adam Greenfield. The gala will be streamed online to a virtual audience co-hosted by Dickie Hearts and Amelia Hensley. The evening's event will include performances by a number of Deaf talent, highlights from NYDT's last 40 years, a silent auction and more.

Honorees:

Alexandria Wailes received a 2020 Obie Citation for Sustained Excellence as an Artist and Advocate. Also a Lucille Lortel nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf at The Public. Broadway: Deaf West's Spring Awakening, Big River (Tony Honoree for Ensemble). Off Broadway: Playwright Horizon's I Was Most Alive with You, A Kind Of Alaska, Film: 'The Hyperglot'; TV: 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent', 'High Maintenance', 'Little America', 'Nurse Jackie'. As Director of Artistic Sign Language: the revival of Broadway's Children Of a Lesser God and King Lear; TV/Film: 'This Close' S. 1 & 2; 'Quantico' S.3; 'A Quiet Place' 1 & 2; 'Wonderstruck'. Ms. Wailes advised ASL interpreted teams for Hands On and TDF on numerous Broadway shows. Works as an educator for The Jewish Museum, the Whitney & LES Tenement museum, conducting ASL tours. Proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA and SDC. www.alexandriawailes.com

Adam Greenfield began his tenure as Artistic Director of Playwrights Horizons in July 2020, having joined the staff there in 2007, first as Literary Manager and later as Associate Artistic Director. During his time there so far, Greenfield created the theater's Guest Curator program, New Works Lab, Resident Company program, Redux series, Soundstage podcast program, as well as the theater's ongoing relationship with New York Deaf Theatre; in addition to which he has shepherded over 80 productions. Prior to his tenure at Playwrights, he served as Associate Artistic Director at Empty Space Theatre (Seattle) from 1997-2006. Recent directing credits include Courtney Baron's Eat Your Heart Out (Humana Festival), Madeleine George's Zero Hour (13P), and Gregory Moss's La Brea (Clubbed Thumb), and Jordan Harrison's Marjorie Prime (Playhouse Teater, Stockholm). He has also developed new works with ACT Theater, Alliance Theater, Berkeley Rep, Cornish College, Federal Hall National Memorial, Hartford Stage, Long Wharf, New Dramatists, O'Neill Center, Orlando Shakespeare, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Playwrights' Center, Playwrights' Realm, Portland Center Stage, Printer's Devil, Seattle Rep, Seattle University, Soho Rep, Sundance Theater Lab, TerraNova, and University of Texas at Austin. Adam received an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan.

The Hosts

Dickie Hearts (he/him) is a Deaf Gay BIPOC Actor and 3x national film contest winner, based in New York City. His latest TV credits include HBO's 'High Maintenance' (2020), Netflix's 'Tales of the City' (2019), and stage credits include Public Theater's The Line, IRT's Please Untranslate Me, IRT's Stepchild, and New York Deaf Theater's Maple & Vine.

Amelia Hensley - her recent work at Public Theater for The Line as ASL interpreter. Broadway: Spring Awakening (Deaf West). Off-Broadway: I Was Most Alive with You (Playwrights Horizons). NYC: Sylvia (NYDT), Dancing Girl (She NYC Arts), Stepchild (IRT Theater), Rape of Lucretia (New Camerata Opera). Seattle: A Midsummer Night's Dream (12th Ave Arts), Skin (Deaf Spotlight). LA: Orphee and Spring Awakening (Deaf West), Our Town (Pasadena Playhouse) Romeo and Juliet (Sontag Greek Theatre). DC: The Lady Becomes Him, (Faction of Fools), Peepshow (Dog & Pony DC), Noises Off (Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival).

New York Deaf Theatre is the premiere Deaf theatre non-profit organization for the New York City metropolitan area; supporting, developing, and presenting Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing artists since 1979. NYDT produces theatre accessible to Deaf and hearing audiences, using combinations that include American Sign Language (ASL), spoken English, projected subtitles, and nonverbal theatrical elements. Committed to honoring Deaf Culture, NYDT fosters talents of local artists who use ASL and creates opportunities for differently-abled theatre professionals to work and collaborate through inclusive productions and programming. For more information, visit www.newyorkdeaftheatre.org.

New York Deaf Theatre's 40th Anniversary Gala takes place online on October 22, 2020 at 8pm ET. The event is free to attend. To register and for more information visit www.newyorkdeaftheatre.org/gala2020.

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