1
a. Look at the poster below. What does it
advertise? Have you ever attended such a
performance?
b. Read the title and the introduction to the text.
What are you going to read? What do you
think a sign language theatre interpreter does?
c. In pairs, think of three questions you would like
to ask about a theatre interpreter. Read the
text quickly and see if your questions were
answered.
2
Read the text. For questions 1-6, choose the most
appropriate answer (A, B, C or D). What type of
text is it?
Read the text quickly to get a general idea of what it
is about.
Look at the first part of the question, and underline
key words. Don’t read the options A-D yet. Find the
part of the text the question refers to.
Go through the choices and underline the key
words.
Choose the answer that best fits. Keep in mind that
the information may be rephrased.
Even if you think you know the correct answer, always
check that the others are not appropriate.
30
35
40
45
translate and
rehearse
an entire play. The
workload is immense. Consider that each actor in
the play has about four weeks to rehearse his or
her lines; we have to learn the
whole play in as much time.
And, when interpreting musicals,
where timing, rhythm and
harmonies must be practised, the
workload doubles."
The most important technical
aspect of theatre interpretation
for the deaf is the location of the
interpreter. Placement strategies
can be categorised into three
styles:
‘placed’
, where interpreters
are located outside the acting
space and do not move;
‘zoned’
,
where interpreters are within the
acting space, but usually move
only during a change of scene or
act; and, finally,
‘shadowed’
,
where interpreters move freely
within the acting space, shadowing the movement of
the actors for whom they are interpreting.
5
10
15
20
25
There was a time when deaf people couldn’t experience the joy of a theatrical performance.
This is all changing, thanks to Sign Language theatre interpreters.
Reading: Culture Clip
14
D
eaf people should enjoy a play as much as
the hearing
audience
. This is the thinking
behind the Americans with Disabilities
Act, which requires that theatres
become accessible to deaf people.
Theatre producers, on the other
hand, are beginning to realise that
such a feature makes their
product attractive to a wider
audience – with considerable
financial rewards.
Interpreted theatre usually
takes place at two or three
performances in a theatre season.
Preference for tickets is given to
the deaf and their guests, but
tickets are also sold to hearing
people who are interested in
seeing theatre interpreters at
work.
It is a colossal project for the
interpreters. Ian Cox works for
SeeTheatre, a Chicago-based association of
interpreters. He says, "for about a month we work
with the support of a Sign Language consultant to
STRATEGY POINT
