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Edifur's Inrroductfon hen he became Gallaudet University's first deaf president in 1988, I. King Jordan said, "Deaf people can do anythingexcept hear!" These words continue to be invoked all over the world as a challenge to negative assumptions about deaf people's abilities. In many areas of human endeavor-such as in the arts-only ignorance of Deaf people's accomplishments could account for the persistence of such negative beliefs. In the performing and visual arts, especially, it should be abundantly clear from the wealth of work already accomplished that Deaf artists' capabilities and potential are unlimited. Those capabilities were particularly evident during The Deaf Way Conference and Festival. In the evenings during that week, plays were brilliantly performed by Deaf theatrical groups from many nations. There were excellent offerings in mime, dance, and comedy, as well as many displays of paintings and crafts of high artistic merit. Had it been universally witnessed, the Deaf art presented at The Deaf Way would in itself have put to rest any assumptions about Deaf people's inferiority. The papers in this section not only provide further testimony concerning Deaf artists ' hard-won achievements around the world, but also demonstrate that the task facing Deaf artists involves many issues that defy simple solutions. Doug Alker (England), discusses problems related to the negative images of Deaf people projected by producers of films and television shows in England. Alker suggests that the Deaf community in England needs to take a more active role in clarifying its true identity and shattering the old stereotypes. The problem, Alker states, is that many Deaf people in England need first to overcome their own doubts about their capabilities, doubts which have resulted, in part, from the negative images they've internalized from the media and other sources since childhood. Gunilla Wagstrom-Lundgvist (Sweden) points out in her paper that although Deaf artists in Sweden have become full participants in Swedish culture and even "world culture," the creation of Deaf theater or Deaf art-which by definition would differentiate Deaf from hearing culture-has been slow to develop in Sweden. It appears that Deaf artists face an interesting difficulty in attempting to formulate and express a unigue Deaf vision in a society in which they have so clearly benefited from the many accommodations made to their communication and socialization needs. Ann Silver (United States) then discusses a topic related to the one examined by Doug Alker: the powerful effects of the images of Deaf people projected by films produced in Hollywood. Because these images often constitute hearing people's first exposure to Deaf people, Silver states, they tend to condition hearing people's attitudes, and therefore influence Deaf people's "fate." For these reasons, Silver feels, it is important that Deaf people themselves become engaged, not only in acting, but also in WI;iting, directing, producing, and consulting, whenever images of Deaf people are to be presented in films. Editor's Introduction In the following panel discussion led by Phyllis Frelich Steinberg (United States), seven successful Deaf Americans from the film, theater, and television industries discuss a variety of topics. (In addition to Frelich Steinberg, the panel included Linda Bove, Julianna Fjeld, Marlee Matlin, Howie Seago, Terrylene, and Ed Waterstreet.) Each panelist tells of his or her individual struggle to succeed in a fast-paced business in which Deaf people must persuasively sell their skills-more often than not to producers and directors who know no sign language and are ignorant of Deaf culture. The panelists generally agree that the American Deaf community should insist that Deaf roles be acted by Deaf, not hearing actors. The next two papers examine issues related to the theatrical offerings of Deaf theater groups in Australia and the United States, two countries of similar size on opposite sides of the earth. Both papers describe the difficulties Deaf companies face in trying to create drama satisfying to Deaf and hearing audiences alike. Carol-lee Aquiline (Australia ) points out that performances that appeal greatly to Deaf spectators, but not to hearing spectators, may need to be modified-not only because hearing audiences are necessary for a company's economic survivaL but also because Deaf artists generally wish to enlarge (not shrink) the scope of their art's power to communicate. Don Bangs (United States) then points out-in the course of his analysis of three American Deaf theatrical groups-that when a company chooses to alter the natural qualities of sign language to make...

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