Question of the Week

As I was assembling the various chapters that make up my memoirs, I pondered upon my experiences as a theatergoing patron and came up with a question (to kick off the Question of the Week series that will take up the next few blog posts in between announcements of captioned media).

So, here goes: Question of the Week # 1

WHAT WAS YOUR BEST EXPERIENCE AT THE THEATER? WORST? WHY?

For me, let's see...

Best Experience:

RENT the Broadway Tour (see blog posts dated March and April regarding those). We had two of the most crazy-talented interpreters that not only worked with the mechanics of their craft, but the theatrics as well. The tidbit about seeing Anthony, Adam and Gwen reprise their roles from the Broadway production was a VERY nice fringe benefit! "One Song Glory" and "La vie Boheme" were the highlights of the interpreters' handiwork.

Worst Experience:

I've had a few so it's difficult to choose just ONE... but seeing AIDA on tour in Idaho is up on the list. Due to miscommunication between the Box Office staff, the interpreting community and the client (me), it was difficult to secure interpreters for this show as the Box Office denied getting any requests even though I asked for them a month in advance.

A three-day-tussle (and many pilgrimmages to the theater) yielded a copy of the script (borrowed with permission from Disney Theatricals with a $50 deposit in case I didn't return the script) and two second-row orchestra seats. It would have been fine if the ushers didn't pounce on me 10 pages before Intermission, thinking that my penlight was a light emitted from a recording device. (The box office knew I was using a flashlight - would it be too much for them to kindly alert the ushers? Some communication could be benefical here...)

Not only that, but they also turned on the house lights full blast (as I didn't catch their waving hands at the end of the row, as the seats at the theater were arranged in rows with no breaks or aisiles and I was in the middle of one). Really, they could have shined a flashlight into my face and I would have taken the hint - but to distrupt the show with turning the house lights on? It took a while to return the script and get my $50 deposit back...

Clearly, some theaters in Boise need to work on their accessibility issue. (Their excuse? "But we have never had a Deaf person come and ask for them!" Learn from this experience people... I'm here to help you - by educating you how to utilize and provide services for us.)

Now, what were YOUR best/worst theater experiences? Horror interpreters? Pushy ushers? ADA infrigments? Wonderful interpreters? Accomodating cast members? Share them with us! Let's see if we can get 10 to post under 'Comments'!