CENTERSTAGE Launches New Open Captioning System

CENTERSTAGE is introducing a new Open Captioning system for their hearing impaired patrons.

"We explored multiple options to accommodate older patrons and hearing impaired patrons that did not know ASL, and folded some of our patrons into this discussion," says Production Manager Mike Schleifer. The result is an Open Captioning system, the same that is found in many Broadway theaters. A donation from Sam and Susie Macfarlane allowed the theater to invest in this new technology.

Open Captioning works much like closed captioning does on a TV. The system provides the text of the play on a screen, as well as any sound effects descriptions, so that people can read along with the action that is happening on stage. The LED sign is capable of delivering up to four lines of text at a time, and the text is programmed into a computer and controlled by an operator, so that the delivery is in time with the dialogue and action on the stage. There will be one captioned performance for each production in the Classic Series.
Open Captioning dates are listed below:

The Rivals Sunday, October 16, at 7:30
American Buffalo Sunday, November 27, at 7:30
Gleam Sunday, January 22, at 7:30
A Skull in Connemara Sunday, Sunday, February 19, at 7:30
Into the Woods Sunday, March 25, at 7:30
The Whipping Man Sunday, May 13, at 7:30

For more information on the system, patrons can contact House Manager & Volunteer Coordinator Bertinarea Crampton at bcrampton@centerstage.org. To purchase tickets to these performances, visit www.centerstage.org or call the Box Office at 410.332.0033.

Since 1963, CENTERSTAGE has been committed to producing and developing an eclectic repertory of challenging, bold, and thought-provoking work, representing a varied array of theatrical styles and forms, in collaboration with leading artists. Each year, a consistently broad range of productions in two intimate performing spaces attracts highly diverse audiences of more than 100,000 people-including thousands of fiercely loyal Members, many of whom have been with the theater through its entire history. Additionally, CENTERSTAGE offers a variety of dramaturgical, community, and educational programs to broaden access and enhance the theatergoing experience, earning its honorary designation as the official State Theater of Maryland.

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