[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 14 (Thursday, January 31, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S435-S436]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                       TRIBUTE TO ED WATERSTREET

 Mr. HARKIN. Madam President, on February 9, theater lovers and 
performers will come together at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver 
City, CA, to honor Ed Waterstreet, the retiring founding artistic 
director of Deaf West Theater.
  Mr. Waterstreet founded the Deaf West Theater in 1991 with the goal 
of establishing the first permanent, resident American Sign Language 
theater company on the west coast. Ed began--as he puts it--``with only 
one chair, one desk and a typewriter in an office space shared with and 
donated by the Fountain Theater in Hollywood.'' From those humble 
beginnings, he inspired and led the creation of a theater company that 
has produced 40 plays and 4 musicals, and has won more than 80 theater 
awards. Deaf West Theater's production of ``Big River: The Adventures 
of Huckleberry Finn'' opened in North Hollywood and ended up in New 
York City, earning two Tony nominations and a Tony honor for excellence 
in theater. Equally important, he succeeding in creating a theater 
whose productions are fully accessible to individuals who are deaf and 
hard of hearing, as well as others.
  I have had the pleasure of attending both ``Big River'' and other 
Deaf West performances and, let me tell you, it is a thrilling and 
unique experience. Productions are presented in American Sign Language, 
with simultaneous sign-to-voice translation for hearing members of the 
audience. As Ed explains: ``Our deaf audiences can have the pleasure of 
watching the story unfold in our native American Sign Language. And on 
the other side of the coin, our hearing audiences have the customary 
theater experience, enhanced by the visual expressiveness of American 
Sign Language.''
  Ed Waterstreet has had a long and distinguished career in theater. 
Before founding Deaf West Theater, he was a long-time member of the 
National Theater for the Deaf. His Hollywood acting credits include the 
Emmy-winning 1985 drama ``Love Is Never Silent.'' Throughout his more 
than two decades at the helm of Deaf West Theater, he has been 
dedicated to expanding opportunities for deaf artists. And he has 
pioneered innovative approaches to integrating nonhearing and hearing 
performers in stage productions.

[[Page S436]]

  Ed is now retired from Deaf West Theater, but he is by no means 
retiring. He says, ``The theater is still my baby.'' He plans to remain 
actively involved, as Deaf West continues to strive toward its goal of 
providing an exhilarating theatrical experience for all audiences, 
regardless of hearing or signing ability.
  Regrettably, it will not be possible for me to join with Ed's many 
other admirers as they come together to honor him next month in 
California. But I, too, want to express my great respect for Ed 
Waterstreet's excellence as a performer and artistic leader, and for 
his passionate commitment to creating new opportunities for aspiring 
deaf performers not only on stage but also in film and television. I 
wish Ed and his wife, Linda Bove, all the very best in the years 
ahead.

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