“How many of you remember Asl Barbie?” Deaf West Theatre artistic director DJ Kurs signed from the stage at Westwood’s Regency Village Theatre last Thursday night, referring to Sign Language Barbie, which Mattel released in 2000. “Her hand was permanently stuck in the ‘I love you’ hand shape. Can you imagine how awkward that would be in real life? Like if she waved to the Ups driver, she would be like, ‘I love you?’”
The audience giggled as Kurs continued. “But seriously, that was a landmark moment back in those days. Barbie, using sign language, was in every store 20 years ago,” he said. “And tonight we celebrate a similar landmark: Children all across the country will be able to tune into the Asl version of Barbie the movie.”
Kurs was speaking at the one-night-only theatrical screening of Barbie with Asl, held on the eve of its Dec. 15 streaming debut on...
The audience giggled as Kurs continued. “But seriously, that was a landmark moment back in those days. Barbie, using sign language, was in every store 20 years ago,” he said. “And tonight we celebrate a similar landmark: Children all across the country will be able to tune into the Asl version of Barbie the movie.”
Kurs was speaking at the one-night-only theatrical screening of Barbie with Asl, held on the eve of its Dec. 15 streaming debut on...
- 12/22/2023
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Deaf representation has come a long way in Hollywood.
“Coda’s” release and subsequent best picture Oscar win marked an important moment for deaf audiences. It showed the most significant representation of the community on a global stage since 1986’s “Children of a Lesser God” earned Marlee Matlin a best actress prize.
“Hollywood is making that shift from diversity for optics to something deeper,” says Lauren Ridloff, a deaf actor best known for her work on “Eternals” and “The Walking Dead.”
That deeper shift includes recent projects where deaf representation has been the focus of major storylines. Director James Cameron called on C.J Jones to create Na’vi sign language, featured in “Avatar: The Way of Water.” HBO’s “The Last of Us” offered up another landmark moment when the show about a post-apocalyptic world featured Keivonn Woodard, as a young deaf Black man trying to survive zombie hordes. Last year,...
“Coda’s” release and subsequent best picture Oscar win marked an important moment for deaf audiences. It showed the most significant representation of the community on a global stage since 1986’s “Children of a Lesser God” earned Marlee Matlin a best actress prize.
“Hollywood is making that shift from diversity for optics to something deeper,” says Lauren Ridloff, a deaf actor best known for her work on “Eternals” and “The Walking Dead.”
That deeper shift includes recent projects where deaf representation has been the focus of major storylines. Director James Cameron called on C.J Jones to create Na’vi sign language, featured in “Avatar: The Way of Water.” HBO’s “The Last of Us” offered up another landmark moment when the show about a post-apocalyptic world featured Keivonn Woodard, as a young deaf Black man trying to survive zombie hordes. Last year,...
- 4/14/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
In a competitive situation, MGM’s Orion Pictures has won the feature film rights and will partner with producer Freddy Wexler on a feature length film based on the life of Keith Adams, coach of the championship winning all-deaf High School football team, the Riverside Cubs.
The film, which will also focus on the lives of Adams’ two sons who played on the team, is expected to begin production in 2023.
Henry Joost and Rel Schulman, the duo behind “Project Power” and “Catfish,” are set to direct the feature from a script by Josh Feldman, best known for Marvel’s “Grasshopper,” and a story by Wexler. Feldman previously co-wrote “This Close,” the first major U.S. series created by deaf writers.
The underdog story of Coach Adams and the Cubs captivated the heart of America. The California School for the Deaf, Riverside, is the only deaf high school in its division...
The film, which will also focus on the lives of Adams’ two sons who played on the team, is expected to begin production in 2023.
Henry Joost and Rel Schulman, the duo behind “Project Power” and “Catfish,” are set to direct the feature from a script by Josh Feldman, best known for Marvel’s “Grasshopper,” and a story by Wexler. Feldman previously co-wrote “This Close,” the first major U.S. series created by deaf writers.
The underdog story of Coach Adams and the Cubs captivated the heart of America. The California School for the Deaf, Riverside, is the only deaf high school in its division...
- 12/7/2022
- by Brent Lang and Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
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.” Jurs wondered: Could Nrg do similar research about how the entertainment business treats the deaf community?
Kurs found eager collaborators in Cindi Smith, Nrg’s VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Fergus Navaratnam-Blair, the group’s research director. The two organizations have joined forces on a sprawling new report charting the great strides being taken in deaf representation, as well as the enormous ground that still needs to be made up.
“It’s eye-opening, and I hope that all of the readers will learn something from this and use this to create change,...
Kurs found eager collaborators in Cindi Smith, Nrg’s VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Fergus Navaratnam-Blair, the group’s research director. The two organizations have joined forces on a sprawling new report charting the great strides being taken in deaf representation, as well as the enormous ground that still needs to be made up.
“It’s eye-opening, and I hope that all of the readers will learn something from this and use this to create change,...
- 11/22/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Disney and Deaf West Theatre celebrated International Day of Sign Languages with a new music video for “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” the hit track from “Encanto.”
Featuring both American Sign Language (Asl) and Colombian Sign Language, the video plays the scene from the film next to an all-Deaf Colombian and Latinx cast of translators. The cast consists of Nataly Barahona as Pepa, Andres Otalora as Felix, Donna Valverde as Mirabel and Abuela, Jasmine Garcia as Isabela, Joseph Rocha as Camilo and Andrea Rodriguez as Dolores.
According to a press release, the sung English lyrics were translated into Asl and Lsc by a team of Sign Language Choreographers who worked through the text to create the best and most accurate translation. Donna Valverde and Nataly Barahona served as Asl Choreographers, working alongside Dp Andres Otalora and editor Austin Balaich.
Also Read:
D23 Review: What Disney’s Dogged Commitment to...
Featuring both American Sign Language (Asl) and Colombian Sign Language, the video plays the scene from the film next to an all-Deaf Colombian and Latinx cast of translators. The cast consists of Nataly Barahona as Pepa, Andres Otalora as Felix, Donna Valverde as Mirabel and Abuela, Jasmine Garcia as Isabela, Joseph Rocha as Camilo and Andrea Rodriguez as Dolores.
According to a press release, the sung English lyrics were translated into Asl and Lsc by a team of Sign Language Choreographers who worked through the text to create the best and most accurate translation. Donna Valverde and Nataly Barahona served as Asl Choreographers, working alongside Dp Andres Otalora and editor Austin Balaich.
Also Read:
D23 Review: What Disney’s Dogged Commitment to...
- 9/23/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Disney has released an American Sign Language video for Encanto’s Hot 100-topping hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” to celebrate Friday’s International Day of Sign Languages.
For the video, Disney Music Group teamed up with Tony Award-winning company Deaf West Theatre, with an all-deaf Colombian and Hispanic cast translating the Lin-Manuel Miranda-penned lyrics into Asl.
“The sung English lyrics were translated into Asl and Csl by a team of Sign Language Choreographers who worked through the text to find the best and most accurate translation into...
For the video, Disney Music Group teamed up with Tony Award-winning company Deaf West Theatre, with an all-deaf Colombian and Hispanic cast translating the Lin-Manuel Miranda-penned lyrics into Asl.
“The sung English lyrics were translated into Asl and Csl by a team of Sign Language Choreographers who worked through the text to find the best and most accurate translation into...
- 9/23/2022
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Disney Music Group has teamed up with Deaf West Theatre, a Tony award-winning company, to release an American Sign Language version of the hit song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Walt Disney Animation’s “Encanto” in celebration of Friday’s International Day of Sign Languages.
The video features an all-deaf Colombian and Hispanic cast, utilizing both American Sign Language and Colombian Sign Language to add additional layers of authenticity to the song. The sung English lyrics were translated by a team of sign language choreographers who worked through the text to find an accurate signed translation of the song for the video.
Featured in the video are Nataly Barahona (Pepa), Andres Otalora (Felix), Donna Valverde (Mirabel and Abuela), Jasmine Garcia (Isabela), Joseph Rocha (Camilo) and Andrea Rodriguez (Dolores). Principle creatives include Donna Valverde and Nataly Barahona (Asl Choreographers), Andres Otalora (Director of Photography) and Austin Balaich (Editor).
“The...
The video features an all-deaf Colombian and Hispanic cast, utilizing both American Sign Language and Colombian Sign Language to add additional layers of authenticity to the song. The sung English lyrics were translated by a team of sign language choreographers who worked through the text to find an accurate signed translation of the song for the video.
Featured in the video are Nataly Barahona (Pepa), Andres Otalora (Felix), Donna Valverde (Mirabel and Abuela), Jasmine Garcia (Isabela), Joseph Rocha (Camilo) and Andrea Rodriguez (Dolores). Principle creatives include Donna Valverde and Nataly Barahona (Asl Choreographers), Andres Otalora (Director of Photography) and Austin Balaich (Editor).
“The...
- 9/23/2022
- by EJ Panaligan
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Keith Adams, the Deaf coach who made history leading an all-Deaf high school football team on 12 consecutive victories against all hearing teams, has inspired two major projects: a feature film and a documentary with the Project Power directors behind the feature film. Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman have signed on to direct the film with screenwriter Josh Feldman currently writing the screenplay. That film is based on the life of Coach Keith Adams, and his sons, Kaden and Trevin, quarterback and team co-captain.
“This film will be groundbreaking for many reasons including representation and disability visibility both behind and in front of the camera. As someone who graduated from a state school for the Deaf, I am honored to introduce the world to a compelling family, both on and off the field, with Coach Keith Adams as its beating heart,” Feldman said.
Separately, the NFL has commenced production on a documentary on Coach Adams,...
“This film will be groundbreaking for many reasons including representation and disability visibility both behind and in front of the camera. As someone who graduated from a state school for the Deaf, I am honored to introduce the world to a compelling family, both on and off the field, with Coach Keith Adams as its beating heart,” Feldman said.
Separately, the NFL has commenced production on a documentary on Coach Adams,...
- 6/27/2022
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
An interactive American Sign Language experience will be held at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre prior to the Tuesday, December 1st performance of Deaf West Theatre's acclaimed production of Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik's Spring Awakening, BroadwayWorld has confirmed. Producer and Deaf West Theatre Artistic Director D.J. Kurs, along with members of the cast, will lead an inside look into the process of translating the lyrics of Spring Awakening into American Sign Language. Signed words and lyrics from the show will be taught, followed by a sing- and sign-along.
- 11/24/2015
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
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