Photo courtesy of Shadowbox Live
Shadowbox Live’s theatrical stage presence is unlike any other, so it makes sense that, when it seeks interpreters for the hearing-impaired, they would also carry some of that stage presence.
As a result of a partnership with Shadowbox, Columbus State Community College students majoring in American Sign Language have the opportunity to serve as artistic interpreters at Shadowbox shows.
The partnership, now in its third year, began when Stacie Boord, community relations and education director at Shadowbox, decided that shows needed interpreters who could also perform. She wanted them to bring the same energy the actors bring, and enhance the show without being a distraction.
Boord reached out to Columbus State’s board of trustees, and the result was a class for upperclassmen in the ASL program to learn the basics of performing in the theater while utilizing sign language.
“They’ve got a lot of people in there that are deaf, that are truly looking at their hands and relying on them to understand what’s going on,” says Boord. “Then you have just as many people that are not deaf and (are) just enjoying the show.”
The program has made a definite difference, Boord says, with students combining ASL and their newly acquired performance skills to put on powerful, high-energy shows.
Charles Williams is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
