Pictures in the Air: The Story of the National Theatre of the Deaf

Pictures in the Air presents the story of NTD in complete detail, weaving a colorful tapestry of influence, coincidence, and determination. While several deaf groups expanded the potential of signed performances in New York City and at Gallaudet College, David Hays worked with Japanese Kabuki theatre, an invaluable experience for him as the founding and long-time Artistic Director of NTD. Demoralizing grant rejections are relived in these pages, as well as the exuberance felt from relief provided by various angels, such as George C. White, who offered his new O’Neill Center as NTD’s home. This engaging story opens a wide window on NTD’s growing pains in finding qualified people to translate well-known masterpieces into sign language, and in handling the early crisis of terrible reviews for its initial production of The Man with His Heart in the Highlands. The controversy experienced by NTD over the critical distinction between theater for the deaf and theater of the deaf is explored, too.