The holiday season is upon us. Gifts - parties - cards - checking our lists twice to make sure we've gotten everything done in time for Santa to do his yearly rounds.
It is also the time of the year where many people give to charities and funds. In consideration of the American holiday of Thanksgiving coming up soon, I would like to share a moment to list the the things I"m grateful for:
- Sign Language Interpreted performances, no matter how few there are out there. The fact alone that they continue to exist and bring joys to hundreds of Deaf theatre patrons brings happy memories of seeing my first interpreted Broadway (touring) musical at Disney's The Lion King.
- Captioned film showings * as well as captioned live performances *. We've come a long way from captioned television to the continuing campaign to caption the Internet.
- Organizations and agencies that promote access to the arts for persons with disabilities including the Deaf; from Theatre Development Fund in New York to VSA Arts and its chapter affliates and everything in between as well as our sister organizations over the pond.
- Scripts (when I can get my hands on them) and CD insert booklets with song lyrics. They have proven invaluable from time to time in terms of preparation.
In short, I would like to thank all the sign language interpreters, captioners, professionals, advocates, allies and audiences everywhere - you know who you are. Keep up the hard work!
To honor those who have shown their passion for the arts to ensure access for everyone by going above and beyond, I plan to give back to the arts community to keep the circle moving. (cue "Circle of Life" from the musical The Lion King here). I ask you to do the same - whether to a local theatre organization, or a 'Send a Child to the Theater' program, or any arts access organization - be sure to keep the circle moving.
Thank you.
*For our non-American readers, please consult the Schedules tab to find your captioned showings
Friday, November 18, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Broadway Actress' Official YouTube Channel Now Captioned
The power of the fandom out there is certainly influencing the number of captioned videos posted on YouTube. Reports of captioned video shorts from musicals (particularly a bootleg cut of Wicked) are floating out there. The YouTube channel for Rent is still faithfully churning out captioned videos as usual. Not only that, the YouTube channels of Broadway actors are now joining the bandwagon.
Idina Menzel, a Tony-award-winning actress known for Rent and Wicked and currently starring as Shelby Corcoran on FOX's hit show, Glee has an official YouTube channel. A request from a fan spurred a move to caption the videos on her channel. Most (if not all) of the video announcements and shout-outs are now captioned for her fans (and theatre lovers in general). Check it out here! It also has been added to the list under the Media tab above.
For those in the Toronto, Canada area, she will be performing Nov. 17 and 18. There's a video shout-out on her channel - so be sure to check it out. (Captioned, of course!)
Be sure to visit her channel and leave a note of thanks to show your appreciation for captioning the videos.
Let's see who the next performer to caption their channel will be!
Idina Menzel, a Tony-award-winning actress known for Rent and Wicked and currently starring as Shelby Corcoran on FOX's hit show, Glee has an official YouTube channel. A request from a fan spurred a move to caption the videos on her channel. Most (if not all) of the video announcements and shout-outs are now captioned for her fans (and theatre lovers in general). Check it out here! It also has been added to the list under the Media tab above.
For those in the Toronto, Canada area, she will be performing Nov. 17 and 18. There's a video shout-out on her channel - so be sure to check it out. (Captioned, of course!)
Be sure to visit her channel and leave a note of thanks to show your appreciation for captioning the videos.
Let's see who the next performer to caption their channel will be!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Any Dream Will Do
Why did I start this blog in the first place? I wanted to share my love for the arts with others as well as reflect on the (limited) offerings for access to the arts for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deafblind audiences.
(cue "Any Dream Will Do" from the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.)
"Any dream will do." My exposure to the world of musical theatre occured as a child when I saw the production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Chicago Theatre. Captivated by the magic of live theatre - the lights, the sounds, the sights - I noticed something was amiss. No sign language interpreters. No captioning. No script. Nothing.
Seeing the show wasn't enough. As a Deaf theatre patron, I wanted to be able to understand the action unfolding onstage and I knew I wasn't the only one. Access to the visual and performing arts for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deafblind is oftentimes an afterthought; and services provided vary greatly from venue to venue. One location may have a single interpreter struggling to keep up with the cast of Les Miserables while in another venue one may find up to 16 interpreters keeping sync with the Radio City Rockettes. Want to see the latest movie? It depends on the location and the venue - and the captioning style as well. What about the historic tours in various cities and landmarks? It all depends. One thing they all have in common is a lack of awareness of access options in addition to inconsistent quality of services provided. Why do we remember the outstanding interpreters? The horrible horror interpreters? Nonexistent captions - or ineffective captioning? Exactly.
My dream? My dream is to see a rise in access to the visual and performing arts to attract more Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deafblind enthusiasts; from Shakespeare to the latest Broadway musical, from television to the big screen as well as the Internet and beyond. To do so, we need to establish standards for performing arts interpreting that focus not only on the mechanics but on the theatrics of their craft; advocate for greater access to media through captioning; and educate the community through awareness. Being able to enjoy the arts is a right, not a privilege.
Despite its spotlight, the face of access to the arts for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deafblind audiences hold numerous challenges that have yet to be formally addressed. The lack of standards leads to an imbalance in service quality and access options. The visual and performing arts hold a vital spot in our lives and the connection between the stage or screen and the audience must be maintained with not just 'good enough' but to ensure that Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deafblind patrons feel like they belong there amongst their hearing co-patrons. After all, 'the show must go on'!
And hence, the reason for this blog : )
(cue "Any Dream Will Do" from the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.)
"Any dream will do." My exposure to the world of musical theatre occured as a child when I saw the production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Chicago Theatre. Captivated by the magic of live theatre - the lights, the sounds, the sights - I noticed something was amiss. No sign language interpreters. No captioning. No script. Nothing.
Seeing the show wasn't enough. As a Deaf theatre patron, I wanted to be able to understand the action unfolding onstage and I knew I wasn't the only one. Access to the visual and performing arts for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deafblind is oftentimes an afterthought; and services provided vary greatly from venue to venue. One location may have a single interpreter struggling to keep up with the cast of Les Miserables while in another venue one may find up to 16 interpreters keeping sync with the Radio City Rockettes. Want to see the latest movie? It depends on the location and the venue - and the captioning style as well. What about the historic tours in various cities and landmarks? It all depends. One thing they all have in common is a lack of awareness of access options in addition to inconsistent quality of services provided. Why do we remember the outstanding interpreters? The horrible horror interpreters? Nonexistent captions - or ineffective captioning? Exactly.
My dream? My dream is to see a rise in access to the visual and performing arts to attract more Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deafblind enthusiasts; from Shakespeare to the latest Broadway musical, from television to the big screen as well as the Internet and beyond. To do so, we need to establish standards for performing arts interpreting that focus not only on the mechanics but on the theatrics of their craft; advocate for greater access to media through captioning; and educate the community through awareness. Being able to enjoy the arts is a right, not a privilege.
Despite its spotlight, the face of access to the arts for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deafblind audiences hold numerous challenges that have yet to be formally addressed. The lack of standards leads to an imbalance in service quality and access options. The visual and performing arts hold a vital spot in our lives and the connection between the stage or screen and the audience must be maintained with not just 'good enough' but to ensure that Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deafblind patrons feel like they belong there amongst their hearing co-patrons. After all, 'the show must go on'!
And hence, the reason for this blog : )
Welcome Back!
Hello, dear readers and followers (and the occasional dabblers);
I'm back after a long absense from this blog. Feeling it was time to change the look of the blog, I've updated the design and layout to make it easier on the eyes (particularily for our Deafblind readers). Hopefully they will enhance the reading experience for many.
The move to include the visual aspect (whether it be material such as paintings or sculptures or shown on a screen such as television or film) prompted the change to the byline of this blog to reflect today's changing world of multimedia viewings of artistic topics.
Stay tuned for new content and insight on issues and perspectives in the visual and performing arts as related to the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deafblind enthustiasts. Let's not forget our Deaf Allies as well - friends, parents, teachers, advocates and interpreters too!
I'm back after a long absense from this blog. Feeling it was time to change the look of the blog, I've updated the design and layout to make it easier on the eyes (particularily for our Deafblind readers). Hopefully they will enhance the reading experience for many.
The move to include the visual aspect (whether it be material such as paintings or sculptures or shown on a screen such as television or film) prompted the change to the byline of this blog to reflect today's changing world of multimedia viewings of artistic topics.
Stay tuned for new content and insight on issues and perspectives in the visual and performing arts as related to the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deafblind enthustiasts. Let's not forget our Deaf Allies as well - friends, parents, teachers, advocates and interpreters too!
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