Trinity Rep Announces Additional Open Captioning Offerings For 2012

Trinity Repertory Company has announced expanded plans to offer open captioned performances during the upcoming 2011-2012 season. The 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 seats are available for $22.

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 absolutely thrilled to work with such generous partners who have continued to make Open Captioning possible for another season,” states Trinity Rep’s Artistic Director Curt Columbus. “We are always looking for ways to ensure that the incomparable experience of live theater is something that is available to all audiences, regardless of traditional barriers.”

The schedule for open captioned performances in 2012 is as follows: Sunday, March 4 at 2PM for The Merchant of Venice in the Chace Theater; Sunday, May 13 at 2PM for Boeing-Boeing in the Chace Theater.

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.

Trinity Rep’s open captioning is provided by c2, the pioneer of Live Performance Captioning for hard of hearing and deaf patrons at live theatrical and cultural events. c2 is internationally recognized as the leading authority in the field. Their mission is to expand services throughout the United States. c2 boasts an impressive roster of prestigious venues now offering this vital access program.

Trinity Rep is fully handicapped accessible, with elevator service to the Chace Theater. State-of-the-art infra-red Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) are available for all performances in the Chace and Dowling Theaters. Support for Trinity Rep’s accessibility programs comes from the Ida Ballou Littlefield Memorial Fund, the Vigneron Memorial Fund, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts.

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 120,000. In its 47-year history, the theater has produced 58 world premieres, mounted national and international tours, and, through its MFA program, trained hundreds of new actors and directors. This season marks the 45th year of Project Discovery, Trinity Rep's pioneering educational outreach program. Last season, Trinity Rep’s educational programs reached nearly 15,000 Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut students through matinees as well as in-school residencies and workshops. Brown University/Trinity Rep offers professional training for actors and directors in a three-year MFA program. The 2011-2012 Season continues with The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare; the world premieres of Sparrow Grass by Curt Columbus, Love Alone by Deborah Salem Smith, and The Mourners’ Bench by George Brant and closes with Marc Camoletti’s Boeing-Boeing, translated by Beverley Cross and Francis Evans. For more information or to subscribe, call the box office at (401) 351-4242 or visit Trinity Rep's website at www.trinityrep.com.