theatre company in the U.S. to be founded by and
Middle East. We produce passionate and provocative
under the direction of a deaf artistic director, Ed
plays from and about the Middle East that celebrate
Waterstreet, who stepped down in 2012. Now under
the multiplicity of its perspectives and identities. We
the artistic direction of DJ Kurs, who also is deaf, Deaf
believe that immersing yourself in someone else’s
West has produced and co-produced shows at various
experience is the best way to appreciate their point
theatres that have won more than 80 theatre awards
of view. Therefore, every play serves as an invitation
and continue to serve as a model for deaf theatre
to discover unexpected connections and engage in
worldwide. Our successful Broadway productions of
deeply moving conversations that last well beyond
Big River (2003) and Spring Awakening (2015) created
the life of the play. Our programs expose non-Middle
a large footprint that brought our community and
Eastern audiences to the authentic voices and
language to new audiences, so much so that, in 2015,
alternative perspectives of the region, while serving
Deaf West Theatre reached 100,000 people.
Middle Eastern audiences who rarely encounter meaningful reflections of their own culture in the
GOLDEN THREAD PRODUCTIONS Impact Area: Middle Eastern Understanding
performing arts. In our vast imagination, the Middle East is defined not by geographical boundaries and political separations, but as the shared experience of the people who throughout history have been touched by its stories and culture. n
Executive Artistic Director: Torange Yeghiazarian Location: San Francisco, CA Founded: 1996 Website: www.goldenthread.org Golden Thread Productions, founded in 1996, is
Stefanie Maiya Lehmann is assistant business manager for production at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. She is a member of the Southern Theatre Editorial Board.
the first American theatre company focused on the
CELEBRATING 88 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE IN ACTOR TRAINING
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Spring 2017 x Southern Theatre x 27