Trinity Rep Announces Improved Access Measures for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Audiences

Theatre Development Fund makes seven open captioned performances possible

PROVIDENCE, RI: Trinity Repertory Company is pleased to announce that it will partner with the Theatre Development Fund to offer seven open captioned performances during the upcoming 2009-2010 season. This state-of-the-art technology will allow Trinity Rep to continue in its mission of providing theater access to a wider community by making performances accessible to patrons with hearing loss. Open captioning will be provided by c2 captioning service, and will be available for one performance of every show in the 2009-2010 Season. Open captioning seats are available for $20, and a season open captioning subscription is also available for $120. To purchase tickets, call (401) 351-4242 (TTY RI Relay 1-800-745-5555) or visit the Trinity Rep box office at 201 Washington St. in Providence.

“We are delighted that the open captioning program is going to be available for all of our shows next season,” states Trinity Rep’s Artistic Director Curt Columbus.  “It is our goal to erase any barriers that keep people from experiencing Trinity Rep, and this is one more way that we can open our doors to all audiences.”

The schedule for open captioned performances in the 2009-2010 season is as follows: Cabaret, Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 2:00 PM, Chace Theater; Shooting Star, Sunday, November 15, 2009 at 2:00 PM, Dowling Theater; A Christmas Carol, Sunday, November 29, 2009 at 12 Noon, Chace Theater; Twelfth Night, Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 2:00 PM, Chace Theater; Dead Man's Cell Phone, Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 2:00 PM, Dowling Theater; The Odd Couple, Sunday, May 9, 2010 at 2:00 PM, Chace Theater; The Syringa Tree, Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 2:00 PM, Dowling Theater.

“We’re thrilled to bring open captioning to Rhode Island,” says Lisa Carling, Director of TDF Accessibility Programs for Theatre Development Fund, the New York based not-for-profit organization that is sponsoring open captioned performances during Trinity Repertory Company’s 2009-2010 season.  “We’ve had great success expanding this accessibility service in New York, from Broadway and Off-Broadway to shows across the country!  It’s wonderful to see theater become part of the lives of so many people with mild to severe hearing loss who were unable to attend prior to open captioning.”

Open Captioning is a general term used to describe text displayed simultaneous to live speech, dialogue or performance.  As opposed to closed captioning, open captions do not require the user to have any special equipment for viewing the text and are always "open" to anyone.

c2 was formed in 2002 by David Chu and Donald DePew as a non-profit advocate to provide and develop professional Live Performance Captioning for the arts. Live Performance Captioning combines technology and technique and is the standard model for open captioning in a performance-driven environment. To date, c2 has captioned more than 800 theatrical productions in over 180 venues.

Trinity Rep is fully handicapped accessible, with elevator service to the Chace Theater. Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) are available for all performances in the Chace and Dowling theaters. Upgraded, state-of-the-art infra-red ALDs are being installed for performances in the Chace Theater, beginning with Cabaret. Additional support for Trinity Rep's accessibility programs comes from the Ida Ballou Littlefield Memorial Trust, the Vigneron Memorial Fund, and Ocean State Charities Trust.

ABOUT TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY
Since its founding in 1963, Trinity Repertory Company has been one of the most respected regional theaters in the country. Featuring the last permanent resident acting company in America, Trinity Rep presents a balance of world premiere, contemporary, and classic works for an estimated annual audience of approximately 135,000. In its 45-year history, the theater has produced 57 world premieres, mounted national and international tours, and, through its graduate-level theater arts conservatory, trained hundreds of new actors and directors. This season marks the 43rd year of Project Discovery, Trinity Rep's pioneering educational outreach program. Last season, the program introduced 25,000 Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut students to live theater. The Brown University/Trinity Rep Consortium offers professional training for actors and directors in a three-year MFA program. Trinity Rep's season presents six subscription productions and an annual production of A Christmas Carol. The 2009-2010 Season includes Cabaret by Joe Masteroff, John Kander and Fred Ebb; Shooting Star by Steven Dietz; Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare; Dead Man’s Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl; The Odd Couple by Neil Simon and The Syringa Tree by Pamela Gien. For more information or to subscribe, call the box office at (401) 351-4242 or visit Trinity Rep's website at www.trinityrep.com.

ABOUT THE THEATRE DEVELOPMENT FUND
The Theatre Development Fund (TDF) has played a unique role in strengthening live theatre and dance in New York City for the past 40 years. This not-for-profit service organization’s programs have filled over 72 million seats at discount prices (with theatre lovers who would normally not be able to attend live performance) and returned over 1.6 billion dollars in revenue to thousands of theatre, dance and music productions. Best known for its TKTS Discount Booths, TDF’s membership, voucher, access and education programs as well as its Costume Collection, help to make the unique experience of theatre available to everyone. For more information, go to:  www.tdf.org.

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