LOS ANGELES -- The Fountain Theatre's Sweet Nothing in My Ear has won the California Governor's 1998 Media Access Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatre.

The award, which recognizes accurate portrayals of people with disabilities in all media, was presented to the Fountain Theatre's managing artistic director, Stephen Sachs, author and director of the play, at the recent 16th annual awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

Sweet Nothing in My Ear had its world premiere at the Fountain in June 1997.

Performed in American Sign Language (with voice interpretation) and featuring a cast of deaf and hearing actors, the critically acclaimed play explores the controversial issue of cochlear implants for deaf and hearing impaired people.

The play is set to receive a full Equity production at Chicago's Victory Gardens Theatre, opening April 5. In Chicago, Sachs will direct a cast featuring many of the actors from the L.A. production. The Media Access Awards are given by the California Governor's Committee for Employment of Disabled Persons, and were established in 1978 to "acknowledge productions, individuals and corporate activities in television, film, radio, theatre and print. The awards seek to recognize and encourage accurate portrayals that transcend stereotypical language and images of people with disabilities."

-- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent