The special Tony Award that honors educators will go this year to a drama teacher in Florida who has closed the gap between the deaf and hearing worlds by having productions performed in both voice and American Sign Language.

Jason Zembuch-Young, artistic director of the public South Plantation High School, in Plantation, Florida, is being honored for B次元官网网址渆mpowering every student to make and be part of theater.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 start out with a mission of letB次元官网网址檚 be as inclusive as we possibly can. IB次元官网网址檝e always championed the underdog because I kind of relate to that,B次元官网网址� he told The Associated Press ahead of the formal Wednesday announcement. B次元官网网址淲hat made sense to me was if thereB次元官网网址檚 somebody thatB次元官网网址檚 standing in front of you and they want to work, well, letB次元官网网址檚 put them to work and letB次元官网网址檚 figure out a way to have them be as successful as they possibly can.B次元官网网址�

Zembuch-Young runs a theater department with more than 150 students participating, which includes putting on both a full-length musical and a play each year and asking his team to be conversant in ASL. He also operates a six-week summer-stock theater camp for elementary and middle school students, using high school drama students as counselors and mentors.

Zembuch-Young doesnB次元官网网址檛 just have a signing interpreter perched on the side of the stage B次元官网网址� he incorporates deaf culture into the theater piece so his team is B次元官网网址渁ctually doing theater for the deaf rather than simply making theater accessible to the deaf.B次元官网网址� He also includes blind students as well as those on the autism spectrum.

B次元官网网址淚 think that more young deaf people that see deaf actors know that they can actually be deaf actors,B次元官网网址� says Zembuch-Young. B次元官网网址淢ore kids that come to a production that are blind and they hear about the fact that somebody on the stage is as blind as they are, it makes it attainable.B次元官网网址�

Zembuch-Young was named winner of the Barnes & Noble 2020 Teacher of the Year award and earned an honorable mention for the Excellence in Theatre Education Award at the 2019 Tony Awards.

He is quick to note that heB次元官网网址檚 not the first to explore theater for the deaf, citing the work of Deaf West Theatre in California and Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. B次元官网网址淭here are tons of organizations out there that do it and do it right as well,B次元官网网址� he says.

He has been at South Plantation High School since 2004. One of the first accessible productions he directed was B次元官网网址淧eter Pan,B次元官网网址� with a young deaf student playing Tinkerbell. By her senior year, she was Maria in B次元官网网址淲est Side StoryB次元官网网址� and had undergone a profound change.

She had once been embarrassed to be seen signing, but by her last year, she was proud of her heritage, her culture and her language. B次元官网网址淪he found a place in the theater in which people werenB次元官网网址檛 staring at her. They were watching her in awe,B次元官网网址� Zembuch-Young says.

The annual education award bestowed by the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University recognizes U.S. educators from kindergarten to 12th grade who have B次元官网网址渄emonstrated monumental impact on the lives of students and who embodies the highest standards of the profession.B次元官网网址�

A panel of judges comprised of the American Theatre Wing, The Broadway League, Carnegie Mellon and other leaders from the theater industry selects the winner, based on candidates submitted by the public.

B次元官网网址淛asonB次元官网网址檚 exceptional commitment to empowering every student to make and be part of theater has won the hearts and appreciation of his local community and now the Broadway community, as well,B次元官网网址� Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League, and Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing, said in a statement.

Zembuch-YoungB次元官网网址檚 commitment to youth doesnB次元官网网址檛 end at the stage door. He and his husband, Michael, have fostered more than 35 abused and underprivileged children. He offers free admission to all performances for foster families so that they can experience live theater.

B次元官网网址淲hen kids are acting like kids, they have an excuse: TheyB次元官网网址檙e kids,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淢ost of the time what they need is exactly what I needed when I was their age and didnB次元官网网址檛 have, which is somebody to see them for who they are, as opposed to what they are acting like.B次元官网网址�

Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press

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