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In an effort to broaden theater access
to potential patrons who are blind or
vision impaired,
the American Council of the Blind
through its Audio Description Project
has partnered with Arena Stage to
offer
live audio description at
EVERY PERFORMANCE OF
Fiddler on the Roof
from November 6, 2014-January 4, 2015
and
Vanya and Sonia and Masha
and Spike
from April 10-May 3,
2015
at Arena
Stage at the Mead Center for American
Theater in Washington DC.
AUDIO
DESCRIPTION AT ARENA STAGE
In 1981, Arena Stage became the first theater to create and
offer audio-described performances, in
conjunction with The Metropolitan
Washington Ear, for patrons who are
blind or visually impaired.
Audio description is typically offered
at one or two designated performances
during the run of each production at
Arena Stage, and this new audio
description initiative with the American
Council of the Blind offers patrons the
freedom and flexibility to attend
any performance throughout the
runs of
Fiddler on the Roof
and Vanya and
Sonia and Masha and Spike
with no
advance planning or notice required to request these services.
ABOUT AUDIO
DESCRIPTION
Audio description is a narration service that provides
succinct and vivid language to make the
visual images of a theatrical production
accessible to people who are blind, have
low vision or are otherwise visually
impaired. Audio description is typically
a carefully timed live commentary of
onstage action that guides the listener
through new scenes, set designs,
costumes, movement and body language.
Audio description at Arena Stage is
broadcast to an earpiece connected to a
small handheld device via an FM
transmitter and steno-mask microphone.
Through the initiative with the American Council of the
Blind, an audio describer will have the
opportunity to attend rehearsals at
Arena Stage in order to develop an audio
description script and will then make
their live narration services available
at every performance during the runs of
Fiddler on the Roof and
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.
Additional
offerings include braille program
booklets and a "touch book" that will
include swatches of costumes used in the
productions.
For more information on the American Council of the Blind's
Audio Description Project, visit
adp.acb.org.
For more information on audio-described performances at
Arena Stage and to purchase tickets,
visit:
arenastage.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility/audio-described/index.shtml.
American Council of the Blind Contact: Joel Snyder,
jsnyder@audiodescribe.com, 301
920-0218
Arena Stage Contact: Greta Hays,
press@arenastage.org, 202-600-4056
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Audio Description Project
