It is the oldest theatre company in the United States with a continuous history of domestic and international touring, as well as producing original works.

The NTD is affiliated with a drama school, also founded in 1967, and with the Little Theatre of the Deaf (LTD), established in 1968 to produce shows for a younger audience.

[4] Mary E. Switzer of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and Boyce R. Williams and Malcolm Norwood of the Rehabilitation Services Administration were important advocates of funding the NTD.

[8] Bancroft and Hays were drawn to work with one another because both "were captivated by the idea that sign language had a place on the world's stage as a performing art form.

Bragg had studied under the French mime Marcel Marceau, and his acting style influenced the early NTD productions.

Since 2012, the NTD has again been based at the O'Neill Theatre Center while maintaining a satellite office on the campus of the American School for the Deaf.

As stated in NTD's "National Theatre of the Deaf Public Testimony before Appropriations Committee"  written by Betty Beekman, who was the Executive Director in March 2015, the mission statement of NTD is "to present theatrical work of the highest quality, performing in the unique style we created through blending American Sign Language and spoken word."

Other actors who have worked with NTD include Colleen Dewhurst, Sir Michael Redgrave, Chita Rivera, Jason Robards, and Meryl Streep.

[14] NTD actress Jane Norman went on to become a prominent voice in deaf media studies at Gallaudet University.

[15] While some NTD actors have achieved recognition in theatre, a greater number of Deaf actors, including Chuck Baird, Eric Malzkuhn, Ed Waterstreet, Gilbert Eastman, Mary Beth Miller, Freda Norman, and Manny Hernandez, have achieved recognition primarily within Deaf theatre.

[8]: 125–129  Both the company and the students lived dormitory-style at the O'Neill Theater Center while rehearsing, and slept either on the bus or in inexpensive hotels while touring domestically.