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Deaf West Theatre, Inc., was founded in 1991 to directly improve and enrich the cultural lives of the 1.2 million deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who live in the Los Angeles area. DWT provides exposure and access to professional theatre, filling a void for deaf artists and audiences. Serving the cultural, educational, social and employment needs of its constituents, DWT is an institution for the discovery and exploration of artists' identities and stature as artists. Through the medium of Sign Language Theatre, a legacy of deaf culture is created, shared, and preserved. In a bold effort to bridge the gap between deaf and hearing worlds, DWT creates new opportunities for artists and audiences to enjoy theatre. Educational outreach workshops serve the particular needs of area youth, providing a model for progressive arts education reform for school children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Presenting adaptations of classics, contemporary and original works, DWT is dedicated to the production of theatre of the highest artistic quality, which nurtures and promotes the talents of its actors, writers, directors and designers. DWT productions are presented in American Sign Language with simultaneous translation in English, providing for all an enhanced theatrical experience for all.