[Colorado-talk] FW: Article about audio description in the Fort Collins Coloradoan newspaper

[maryannmigs at gmail.com]

This features comments from Penn Street, one of our members.

 

Fort Collins Coloradoan:  Audio describer brings theater into focus for blind audiences

Written by Stacy Nick Filed Under News Local News Arts

For the visually impaired, going to the theater can be a challenge. But for more than 20 years, Bonnie Barlow has been bringing the action on the stage into clearer focus.

Via a closed-circuit microphone and headsets, the owner of Fort Collins-based Audio Description Colorado provides narration of the visual elements of theatrical productions — everything from the sets, costumes, lighting on the stage to the grimaces, smirks and gestures of the actors.

“The description allows blind and visually impaired patrons to fully enjoy the experience of the production with a sense of independence and inclusion with other audience members,” said Barlow, who recently worked with Bas Bleu Theatre Company for a special production of “Wait Until Dark.” It marked the first time Barlow had done audio description for the Fort Collins theater, but Bas Bleu founder Wendy Ishii said it hopefully won’t be the last.

“It was so wonderfully gratifying to share this play with members of the visually impaired community and to receive such positive response from our patrons,” said Ishii, adding that Bas Bleu is now looking for an underwriter so that it can provide ADC services for all of next season’s productions.

“I’ve been to the theater many, many times in my life, but the first time I went when Bonnie described it, I was in shock at how much I had been missing,” said Penn Street, who attended the Bas Bleu’s production with Audio Description Colorado. Street also worked with the show’s star Teal Jandrain in order to accurately depict her character, who is blind.

“It increases the value of going to the theater a hundred times fold ... because all those little things that people who can see take for granted, like the way somebody moves or their facial expressions or what’s on the table, we miss all of that. All we get is the audio. So if it’s not audible, we miss it and we don’t even realize what we’re missing because we never even knew it was there. Bonnie fills in all those gaps and brings the stage to life.”

For the first few minutes of “Wait Until Dark,” there is no dialogue but visually impaired patrons heard Barlow read the following opening: “Room dark. Lights coming in from outside the windows and under the door at the top of the landing. We see a pair of legs walk by windows. Tall man comes in door, silhouetted in hallway light, closes door, comes down stairs. Door on left at bottom of stairs. Opens, turns on light in that room. We see dresser with pictures on top and lamp. He opens and closes blinds on the far wall. More legs coming by windows. Man in room closes door. Shorter man with slicked-back hair. Stops, comes down stairs, turns on light, off again. Listens at door. Moves across to windows, moves blinds open and closed. Guy comes out of bedroom, second guy grabs chair.”

As part of the service, Barlow also offers a “sensory tour,” which allows patrons to go up on stage and feel items on the set, including furniture and props. During last week’s tour at Bas Bleu, tour participants were able to feel their way through the “Wait Until Dark” set, including critical plot elements such as the 1960s-style icebox, the wooden window shutters and a staircase.

“The sensory tour is so, so important ... when you’re able to touch everything you just get more of a sense of the characters,” said tour attendee Tricia Cavallaro. “That really made a big difference to me.”

Throughout the years, Barlow has described more than 180 plays. Her staff describes for about 30 plays a year, including many for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and also at Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Johnstown, but this is the first time she has actually described for a play in Fort Collins.

While many people are aware of signers for the deaf and hard of hearing, she said, not as many know about audio describers.

Audio Description Colorado’s next Northern Colorado description performances will be ‘The Sound of Music’ on July 11 and 25 at Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, 4747 Marketplace Drive, Johnstown. 

To learn more about ADC’s services, visit www.audiodescriptionincolorado.weebly.com or call (970) 420-6372. 

See a video of ADC describer Bonnie Barlow in action for a production of “Wait Until Dark” with this story at  <http://www.coloradoan.com/> www.coloradoan.com.