Linda Bove | Intimate Excellent

‘Cyrano’ at New York Theatre Workshop

The Fountain Theatre and Deaf West Theatre brought their lyrical and romantic  deaf/hearing updated-version of Cyrano to New York last Monday, April 29, for a special staged reading at the acclaimed New York Theatre Workshop. The staged reading was performed for a full house of NY theater producers and invited VIP’s for the purpose of solidifying interest in a possible New York production.

Four original cast members were flown in from Los Angeles: Troy Kotsur, Paul Raci, Victor Warren and Al Bernstein.  The rest of the ensemble was cast with local New York actors Matt Biagini, Robert De Mayo, Samira Wiley, John McGinty, Puy Navarro, James W. Guido, Alexandria Wailes, Richard Dent, and original cast member Maleni Chaitoo who happens to now live in NY.

The company rehearsed with director Simon Levy for only three days. Our thanks to our friends at Primary Stages for providing their rehearsal studios to the Cyrano company. Also in attendance at rehearsals were playwright Stephen Sachs, Deaf West Artistic Director David Kurs, Fountain Producing Artistic Director Deborah Lawlor, DWT Founder Ed Waterstreet and his wife, actress Linda Bove.

The highly regarded New York Theatre Workshop is the Tony-winning company dedicated to developing new plays and musicals.  Over their 30-year history, they have launched many acclaimed productions and have transferred several to Broadway, including Rent, Dirty Blonde, Homebody/Kabul, Peter and the Starcatcher, Once, and more. The Cyrano staged reading was held Monday in the NYTW upstairs rehearsal hall. An invited list of producers and VIP guests attended, including representatives from New York Theatre Workshop, The Public Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, Primary Stages, 59E59 Theatres, Broadway director Jeff Calhoun, and more. The actors performed Cyrano entirely memorized and off-book and cleverly incorporated the use of captioning and video design on a large TV flat screen monitor.

Our sincere and heartfelt thanks to our Cyrano donors who contributed to our fundraising campaign and made this very important New York opportunity possible: Phillip Baron, Cal Bartlett, JB Blanc, Eve Brenner, Carlease Burke, Johnny Clark, Kyle Colerider-Krugh, Cathy Colloff, Debra Conklin, James Conley, Kimberly Cyzner Family, Lorraine Danza, Timothy Davis-Reed, Fred Dean, Donna Duarte, Susan Duncan, Michael Edwin, Mark Freund, Amy Frost, Heidi Girardoni, Jane Gordon, Gaby Gross, William Dennis Hurley, Trice Koopman, Ken LaZebnik, Robert Leventer, Dennis Levitt, Ruth Linnick, Betsy Malloy, Caitlin Marcus, Donne McRae, Susan Merson, Mills, Michelle Montooth, Joel Moreno, Russell Nore, Jenny O’Hara, Susan Oka, Z. Oppenheim, Patricia Parker, Cynthia Paskos, Patty Paul, Terry Paule, Sharon Perlmutter, Ralph Pezoldt, Allison Pickering, Lawrence Poindexter, Priscilla Pointer, Bill Pugin and The Sign Language Company, Terri Roberts, Mark Routhier, Rita Schneir, Sandy Schuckett, Susanne Spira Survivors Trust, Suanne Spoke, Marjorie Throne, Eileen T’Kaye, Zoltan & Dorcas Tokes, Andrede Toledo, Tate Tullier, Jessica Turner, Nick Ullett, Heidi Girardoni, Carol Watson, Marianne Weil, William Wilk. We could not have done it without you!

What happens now? We’ll see what the future holds for our unique, thrilling and moving ASL/spoken English version of Cyrano. In the meantime, enjoy these snapshots of the rehearsal process and the staged reading!

‘Cyrano’ in New York 

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Posted in Acting, actors, Arts, arts organizations, Deaf, Fountain Theatre, new plays, performing arts, plays, Theater, theatre

Tagged 59E59 Theatres, actors, Al Bernstein, Alexandria Wailes, Allison Pickering, American Sign Language, Amy Frost, Andrede Toledo, ASL, ASL Poetry, Betsy Malloy, Bill Pugin and The Sign Language Company, Caitlin Marcus, Cal Bartlett, Carlease Burke, Carol Watson, Cathy Colloff, Cynthia Paskos, Cyrano, Cyrano de Bergerac, David Kurs, deaf, deaf actor, deaf culture, deaf theatre, Deaf West Theatre, deafness, Deborah Lawlor, Debra Conklin, Dennis Levitt, Dirty Blonde, Donna Duarte, Donne McRae, Ed Waterstreet, Eileen T’Kaye, Eve Brenner, Fountain Theatre, Fred Dean, Gaby Gross, Heidi Girardoni, Homebody/Kabul, James Conley, James W. Guido, Jane Gordon, JB Blanc, Jeff Calhoun, Jenny O’Hara, Jessica Turner, Joel Moreno, John McGinty, Johnny Clark, Ken LaZebnik, Kimberly Cyzner Family, Kyle Colerider-Krugh, Lawrence Poindexter, Linda Bove, Lorraine Danza, Los Angeles, Maleni Chaitoo, Manhattan Theatre Club, Marianne Weil, Marjorie Throne, Mark Freund, Mark Routhier, Matt Biagini, Michael Edwin, Michelle Montooth, Mills, new plays, New York, New York Theatre Workshop, Nick Ullett, Once, Patty Paul, Paul Raci, performing arts, Peter and the Starcatcher, Phillip Baron, plays, playwriting, Primary Stages, Priscilla Pointer, Puy Navarro, Ralph Pezoldt, Rent, Richard Dent, Rita Schneir, Robert De Mayo, Robert Leventer, Russell Nore, Ruth Linnick, Samira Wiley, Sandy Schuckett, Sharon Perlmutter, sign language, Simon Levy, staged reading, Stephen Sachs, Suanne Spoke, Susan Duncan, Susan Merson, Susan Oka, Susanne Spira Survivors Trust, Tate Tullier, Terri Roberts, Terry Paule, The Public Theater, theater, theatre, Timothy Davis-Reed, Trice Koopman, Troy Kotsur, Victor Warren, William Dennis Hurley, William Wilk, Z. Oppenheim, Zoltan & Dorcas Tokes

Snapshots from our party celebrating the magical sold-out run of the world premiere of Cyrano after the final performance on Sunday, July 29th.

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Posted in actors, Arts, Fountain Theatre, new plays, performing arts, plays, theatre

Tagged American Sign Language, ASL, Bob Hiltermann, Chip Bent, Cyrano, Cyrano de Bergerac, Daniel Durant, David Kurs, deaf, Deaf West Theatre, Deborah Lawlor, Ed Waterstreet, Eddie Buck, Erinn Anova, Fountain Theatre, Ipek D. Mehlum, Linda Bove, Los Angeles, Maleni Chaitoo, new plays, Paul Raci, plays, sign language, Simon Levy, Stephen Sachs, theater, Troy Kotsur, Victor Warren, Victoria Platt, world premiere

In 1990, Stephen Sachs and Ed Waterstreet shared a dream. Stephen had just launched the Fountain Theatre with Deborah Lawlor. He had worked sporadically with deaf actors and writers in Los Angeles for five years prior and was now eager to start a deaf theatre company at the newly-formed Fountain. Ed was a respected actor and director trained at the National Theatre for the Deaf. He, too, was yearning to create something new in Los Angeles: a professional deaf theatre company led and run by deaf artists. Someone suggested that Stephen and Ed meet. Upon meeting, it was clear they were both united by the same exhilarating vision. Ed was immediately invited into the Fountain Family. He was given office space and support. And Deaf West was born. The first professional resident Sign Language Theatre west of the Mississippi.

Ed Waterstreet with actors Patrick Graybill and Phyllis Frelich. “The Gin Game” (1991)

By May, 1991, Deaf West opened its first production at the Fountain, The Gin Game, starring Phyllis Frelich and Patrick Graybill. It was followed by Shirley Valentine in 1992, starring Freda Norman and directed by Waterstreet. In 1993, Sachs directed One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in which the hospital staff was hearing and the patients deaf.

It was always the goal that Deaf West would become autonomous and operate its own venue. In 1993, Deaf West “left home” and leased the Heliotrope Theatre in Hollywood where Sachs directed ‘Night Mother, costarring Freda Norman and Elena Blue in 1994. Under Ed’s leadership, Deaf West blossomed and grew. Back at the Fountain, the development of new plays with deaf themes continued with the world premiere of Sachs’ Sweet Nothing in my Ear in 1997, tackling the controversial issue of cochlear implants. The play was made into a CBS TV movie in 2008 starring Marlee Matlin, Jeff Daniels, and featuring Ed Waterstreet.

Stephen Sachs directs “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1993)

After a brief stay at the Ventura Court theater in North Hollywood, Deaf West acquired its venue on Lankershim Blvd in the NoHo Arts District. Deaf West and Sachs joined forces again in 2005 with the world premiere of Sachs’ play, Open Window, starring Linda Bove and Shoshannah Stern, at the Pasadena Playhouse.

The Fountain Theatre and Deaf West Theatre are now two of the most successful and highly respected intimate theater companies in Los Angeles, both honored with hundreds of awards and earning national recognition for excellence. Twenty-two years after first joining hands, the two companies are together again co-producing the world premiere of their new signed/spoken version of Cyrano, starring Troy Kotsur, at the Fountain Theatre.  Back where it all began. Where a dream became reality. 

Cyrano  April 28 – June 10  (323) 663-1525  More Info  Buy Tickets

Posted in actors, Arts, Deaf, director, Fountain Theatre, new plays, performing arts, plays, playwright, theatre

Tagged ‘Night Mother, American Sign Language, Broadway, CBD TV Movie, Cyrano, Cyrano de Bergerac, deaf, Deaf West Theatre, Deborah Lawlor, Ed Waterstreet, Elena Blue, Fountain Theatre, Freda Norman, Jeff Daniels, Linda Bove, Los Angeles, Marlee Matlin, National Theatre of the Deaf, new plays, NoHo Arts District, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Open Window, Pasadena Playhouse, Patrick Graybill, Phyllis Frelich, plays, playwriting, Shirley Valentine, Shoshannah Stern, Stephen Sachs, Sweet Nothing in my Ear, The Gin Game, Troy Kotsur, world premiere