David Hays

David Hays (June 2, 1930 – February 17, 2026) was an American scenic and lighting designer and the founding artistic director of the National Theatre of the Deaf (NTD). Over a career spanning five decades, he designed scenery and lighting for over 50 Broadway productions and 30 ballets for George Balanchine and the New York City Ballet. He was nominated for five Tony Awards for his stage designs.

Early life and education David Hays was born on June 2, 1930, to parents Sara (née Reich) and Mortimer Hays in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York. His father was a trial lawyer and his mother was an amateur pianist.

Hays graduated Harvard University with a degree in the history of fine arts in 1952. Following graduation, he studied in London on a Fulbright scholarship, working at the Old Vic under the mentorship of theater legends like John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier. He later attended the Yale School of Drama before transferring to Boston University, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts in theatrical design.

In 1967, inspired by his work on the Broadway production of The Miracle Worker, Hays co-founded the National Theatre of the Deaf alongside Bernard Bragg and Edna Simon Levine. The NTD integrated American Sign Language with spoken English on stage. He served as the company's artistic director for 30 years, during which time the troupe performed in all 50 U.S. states and on all seven continents. Under his leadership, the NTD received a Special Tony Award for Theatrical Excellence in 1977.

Selected bibliography