BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SETTING THE STANDARD FOR BOLD AND INCLUSIVE ENTERTAINMENT
Committed to innovation, collaboration, training, and activism, Deaf West is the artistic bridge between the Deaf and hearing worlds. Founded in Los Angeles in 1991, Deaf West engages artists and audiences in unparalleled theater and media experiences inspired by Deaf culture and the expressive power of sign language, weaving ASL with spoken English to create a seamless ballet of movement and voice.
IN THE NEWS
VARIETY
In 2020, National Research Group (NRG) released a comprehensive look at Black representation on-screen. That study, which found that two in three Black Americans don’t see their stories represented in movies and shows, resonated with DJ Kurs, the artistic director of Deaf West Theatre, a Los Angeles-based theater company behind Tony Award-nominated revivals of “Big River” and “Spring Awakening.” Kurs wondered: Could NRG do similar research about how the entertainment business treats the deaf community?
THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
"The intersectionality is where beautiful things happen -- when Deaf and hearing people come together in service of creating art," says artistic director, DJ Kurs.
NEW YORK TIMES
The Los Angeles Philharmonic and
Deaf West Theater are working on an innovative production conceived for both hearing and Deaf operagoers.
NEW YORK TIMES
The theater plans to work with the Oscar-nominated film’s producers to adapt the story of a teenager torn between helping her deaf family and singing.
SHOP
DEAF WEST
PROJECT
HIGHLIGHTS
NATIONAL RESEARCH GROUP
"Spotlight On: Deaf Representation"
The National Research Group (NRG), a leading consumer insights and data agency and Deaf West partnered on a comprehensive study project looking at representation and accessibility in today’s media and entertainment landscape.
"Communication Does Not Have to be a Barrier"
We partnered with Deaf West alumni, Daniel Durant (CODA, Deaf West's Spring Awakening), and Google to advocate for authentic representation in arts and entertainment - proving that communication doesn't have to be a barrier.
DISNEY MUSIC
"We Don't Talk About Bruno" (From Encanto)
To celebrate International Day of Sign Languages, we partnered with Disney Music to present the ASL music video of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from the movie Encanto. The all-Deaf Colombian and Latinx cast combined American Sign Language (ASL) with elements of Colombian Sign Language (LSC) to bring forth the spirit of the Madrigal Family.
DISNEY MUSIC
"Surface Pressure" (From Encanto)
We proudly present the ASL music video of the song "Surface Pressure" from the film Encanto in collaboration with Disney Music and performed by Colombian Deaf actress Nataly Barahona! Captured by Andrés Otalora and ASL Choreography by Leila Hanaumi. In celebration of Disability Pride Month.
APPLE TV+
"You're All I
Need To Get By"
The challenge: create an accessible music video by expressing the mood and tone of the song through story and camera movement. Working with Apple TV+, we assembled a team of creatives to create such a video with an all-Deaf cast, set to the feature song from Apple's new film, CODA.
CAPITOL RECORDS
Calum Scott
"Biblical"
We collaborated with Capitol Records on an ASL music video for international singer/songwriter Calum Scott. The intimate video features breathtaking performances by five Deaf artists.
DISNEY
Disney's World Princess Week
We partnered with The Walt Disney Company to bring ASL performances to the official Disney Princess YouTube channel for the first time in the company's history.
NBC
Zoey's Extraordinary
Playlist
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist lives on in our memory, and our staging of the hit "Fight Song" (without spoken lyrics) has reached cult status.
ATLANTIC RECORDS
Kelly Clarkson's
"I Dare You"
During the early days of the pandemic, Atlantic Records and Deaf West combined forces to create a community-sourced ASL video for Kelly Clarkson's hit single “I Dare You.”
CABIN 24 RECORDS
Ingrid Michaelson
"Hell No"
After seeing Spring Awakening, Ingrid Michaelson reached out to Deaf West to create an ASL music video for her popular song "Hell No!”, which was also performed live on the Today Show.