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Above: Dan McDougall (far left) and Shelly Tocco (far right) shadow interpreting a performance of Translations at The Hilberry Theatre at Wayne State University in Detroit. The interpreters are positioned near the characters of Hugh (Seated. Played by Chris Corporandy) and Jimmy Jack (Standing. Played by James Kuhl). See the interpreters in the Placed position: Move your mouse over the photo to see the interpreters placed off to the side of the scene. Explore the characteristics of each style below.
The physics of theatre are different for hearing and Deaf audience members. Hearing audience members can listen to an actor’s dialogue while looking at anything on the stage – they don’t need to look at the actor to hear the spoken lines. Actors may wear face masks, turn their backs to the audience, and speak dialogue in total darkness. Sign language must be seen to be understood. Shadow interpreting on stage seeks to position the language of the play near the action on stage, so that Deaf patrons have a unified experience: the dialogue combined with the actors' delivery and performance. [ In truth, many sign language users are both Deaf and blind. Interpreting for Deaf-Blind patrons involves many strategies, including the use of tactile signing - a form of sign language produced from hand-to-hand, rather than visually. ] The interpreters in the example above are positioned to provide a tolerable line of sight for both Deaf and hearing audience members. Deaf patrons can look in one area to see both the interpreter and the actor. The interpreters move with precision and interact with others on stage (when appropriate) to establish them as a normal part of the story on stage. Over time, both Deaf and hearing patrons report mentally “attaching” the interpreter’s performance to that of the actor. Advantages
When working in the Placed style – by far the most common style of theatre interpreting today – interpreters are located in a specific area of the theatre. They interpret the dialogue from this location. Often, characters are divided based on male and female voices, rather than the storyline and motivation of the characters themselves. Deaf patrons are often seated in special sections of the theatre, near the interpreters. This is often a seat off to the side, with less than ideal sight lines. If Deaf audience members sit close to the interpreters, they have to look a far distance to see the action on the stage – if they sit farther back, or in the center of the theatre, they have to look from side to side to see the interpreters, then the actors. In the end, the Deaf patron can look at the interpreters OR the actors – but rarely at both at the same time. This ‘ping pong effect’ is not unique to the Deaf patron. Hearing audience members are naturally curious about interpreted theatre. They, too, crane their heads from side-to-side to feed this curiosity – often at the expense of their own enjoyment of the show. “I was just fascinated by everything you were doing over there – I watched you instead of the actors for the whole show!” Disadvantages
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Why Shadowing?
The Placed Interpreter
Traditionally, providing sign language interpreters on stage has been viewed as a compromise. Some theatres add interpreters to their season as an outreach effort to the Deaf community – others are compelled by law to provide interpreters to patrons who request the service. In the vast majority of cases, sign language interpreters are an addition – an appendage with no relationship to the creative development or production of the play, opera or other performance being interpreted.
In these cases, interpreters are “Placed” in one area of the theatre. Deaf patrons are seated nearby, affording them a view of the interpreters from a reasonable distance. A typical placement of interpreters in this style is a small rectangular area near the extreme left or right of the stage. Interpreters are often placed off the stage, on the floor of the house (the area where the audience sits). Many theatres require interpreters to sit on stools in these locations. Interpreters are sometimes located in other areas of the house, near Deaf patrons seated farther away from the stage, or in a balcony.
A special light – usually a spot light – provides illumination for the interpreters. Typically, these lights are not programmed to fade with the changing lighting conditions on stage. Moments of subdued lighting on stage are invaded by bright light shining on the interpreters off to the side of the stage. Hearing audience members often find themselves drawn to this spot by distraction – and out of curiosity.
What they find are two people – seemingly isolated in their own world – interacting, but not acting. Dressed in black to blend in, but with brightly lit hands and faces bouncing in the dark. Their modern dress is a stark contrast to the reality unfolding on stage – They are “the show beside the show.”
Two Shows
Deaf theatre patrons spend their time split between these two shows. Because they must see the interpreters to capture dialogue, their seating location relative to the interpreter and the stage is critical. More often than not, Deaf audience members must choose between focusing on the interpreter and seeing the on-stage action. Because diverting their attention away from the interpreters results in gaps in the dialogue, Deaf theatre-goers are forced to piece together the plot through disjointed pieces of onstage action and interpreted dialogue. To complicate matters, two interpreters sign all the actors’ lines, so Deaf patrons have no choice but to look away from the interpreters to see who is talking on stage.
This all adds up for a less meaningful theatre experience for the Deaf patron. Why would anyone pay full price for less than a full experience?
Theatres are often just as unhappy. They find the addition of interpreters a business necessity, but too few Deaf patrons attend interpreted performances to offset the cost of interpreters. Directors and actors sometimes find the interpreters placed off to the side to be a distraction to their production. Rarely does a director invite friends and family to see a production on the night of a performance where the interpreters are placed off to one side.
Interpreters work hard to give Deaf consumers a good experience in less than ideal conditions. Oftentimes, the linguistic challenges of interpreting theatre, musical theatre and opera are overwhelming. Sign language – based on the use of movement in space – demands freedom of movement. Asking qualified interpreters to sit on stools while fully expressing the content in a production like Into The Woods is like trying to grow a magnolia tree in a sandwich-bag: Something will sprout, but it won’t take root. The complexities of the seating arrangements and “ping-pong” experience faced by Deaf audience members often overshadow wonderful work by interpreters that are placed off to the side of the stage space.
With all of this discontent – Why are we doing this?
Why indeed.
TerpTheatre operates on the premise that it is possible for Deaf and hearing audience members to enjoy the same show simultaneously. The way the piece is experienced – the modality – may be different; but it is possible to enhance everyone’s experience by making the interpreters “part of” the production, rather than “beside of” it.
Some possible perspectives on theatre interpreting include –
Access Model |
Business Model |
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| Artistic Model | Visceral Impact Model |
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The sweet spot where these models overlap affords a unique opportunity to collectively meet the artistic, business, accessibility, and enjoyment goals of everyone involved in the theatre experience. Like any other, arriving at this spot is a multi-facetted effort:
- Shadow interpreting brings dialogue back onto the stage for Deaf patrons.
- The work of the actors reach a new audience through the interpreter.
- The interpreter becomes a tool of the creative vision, not a hindrance to it.
Doing it well or doing it crudely is a choice. Yes, shadowing is different and requires effort. Shining a spotlight on two people sitting on stools in the corner is different and requires effort, too. If the result of shadowing is more pleasant than the result of placed interpreting, why not shift our efforts from one choice to the other?
Together, teams of creative and dedicated actors, directors, interpreters and theatre craftspeople continue to explore countless ways to bring dialogue back to the stage for Deaf patrons through shadowing and similar interpreting techniques. Shadowing isn’t impossible – it’s a choice. We hope you’ll give it a try.
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