Bernard Bragg

Bernard Bragg (September 27, 1928 – October 29, 2018) was a deaf actor, producer, director, playwright, artist, and author who is notable for being a co-founder of the National Theatre of the Deaf and for his contributions to Deaf performing culture. According to The New York Times, Bragg was "regarded by many as the leading professional deaf actor in the country".

Early life and education Bernard Bragg was born on September 27, 1928, in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Jennie and Wolf Bragg. He grew up learning American Sign Language (ASL), which was taught to him by his two deaf parents. From a young age, Bragg demonstrated an interest in theatre, which developed as a result of the influence of his father, who was an amateur actor and play manager. Marceau took a liking to the aspiring actor, and offered to teach him mime in France. Bragg accepted the offer, and travelled to Paris at the end of the 1956 school year. Upon returning to the United States, Bragg began performing mime in various locations throughout the state of California while maintaining his career as a teacher. In addition, Bragg enrolled in San Francisco State University, graduating with a master's degree in special education and a minor in drama in 1959.

Criticism Prior to its airing in April, the idea for the special faced heavy criticism from The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, which deemed the program's use of sign language as inappropriate for television. 1989 The John Bulwer Award, The National Center on Deafness 1990 The Bernard Bragg Artistic Achievement Award, Center on Deafness, Chicago 1997 Honorary Founder's Award, New York School for the Deaf 2001 Special Lifetime Achievement Recognition Award, World Federation of the Deaf, Rome 2006 The Bernard Bragg Humanitarian Award, ICODA 2007 Recognition Award: NTD Founder, Texas Association of the Deaf 2008 Fred C. Schreiber Distinguished Service Award, National Association of the Deaf