University of Houston's American Sign Language Interpreting Program and Main Street Theater Announce Collaboration

Main Street Theater recently announced its new Theater for Youth Accommodations Performances: Sensory Friendly, Audio Descriptive, and American Sign Language Interpreted. From this initiative at the theater has come a groundbreaking partnership between the University of Houston's American Sign Language Interpreting (ASLI) Program and Main Street Theater (MST).

MST's current production ofDuck for President will now have 1 ASL shadow-interpreted performance with UH ASLI students, mentored by ASLI faculty member Sharon Hill. Professor Hill has over 20 years of experience in the field of sign language interpreting and currently holds Master level certification, the highest level of certification in the field offered by the State of Texas. "Shadow-interpreted performances are rarely produced across the country," says Hill. "It has been over a decade since such a show was put on in the Houston. Our goal is to be able to continue this collaboration so that deaf children have greater access to the arts here in Houston."

ASLI seniors will be featured as volunteer American Sign Language shadow interpreters for the October 29 performance at 11am at 3400 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77002. Tickets are on sale via phone at 713.524.6706 or online at MainStreetTheater.com. Ticket buyers can use the code ASLDUCK for this performance and receive discounted tickets.

This performance is unique in that, instead of using placed interpreters positioned on the side of the stage, the audience will witness "pure shadow interpreting" (Kilpatrick 57): for every actor, there will be an ASL signer/performer assigned to "shadow" the actor's movements on stage and deliver the lines in sign language. This type of integration into the performance requires extensive rehearsal with the actors to memorize the stage movement on top of the additional work needed to complete a linguistic analysis of the script.

Dr. Brian Kilpatrick, a retired professor who also provides theatrical consultant (and was the co-founder of the now inactive Illuminations Theatre with the Deaf in Houston), researched the impact of theatre arts on Deaf youth. In his research, Dr. Kilpatrick explains that shadowing was first developed by Debra Brenner, a certified sign-language interpreter and teacher of the deaf (Kilpatrick 56). Utilizing shadow interpreters creates a performance that is visually-accessible and appealing to deaf and hard-of-hearing audience members.

About UH ASLI

The University of Houston ASL houses the only BA-degree program for sign language interpreting across the entire state of Texas. This program is designed to prepare students to obtain certification so as to effectively interpret between American Sign Language and English. Sign language interpreters work in a vast array of settings such as courtrooms, hospitals, television programs and the performing arts. This field is one of high demand and the need is ever-growing for qualified interpreting professionals. Contact the Sharon Hill, UH ASLI Program Coordinator, for more information about the program at asli@uh.edu . Visit www.uh.edu/asli to learn more.

About Main Street Theater's Theater for Youth Program

Main Street Theater's professional Theater for Youth program produces plays based on children's literature for families and school groups and reaches over 130,000 audience members yearly. "Adding ASL, Audio Descriptive, and Sensory Friendly performances to our repertoire is so important to our mission," says MST Theater for Youth Producing Director Vivienne M. St. John. "Now that we are in our new facility at the MATCH in midtown, we are able to implement them. How can we be a true Theater for Youth if we cannot accommodate all children? By working with our community partners, we are now able to offer opportunities for children with learning differences or other special needs to experience and enjoy live theater as well." Main Street Theater is also partnering with the Monarch School and Institute and working with the Hobby Center to implement this new initiative.

In March of 2016, American Theatre Magazine, the national theater magazine published by Theatre Communications Group, named Main Street Theater one of the top 20 theaters in the United States for Theater for Youth programming.

About Duck for President

Unhappy with the working conditions on Farmer Brown's farm, Duck campaigns to put himself in charge. In this hilarious tale by the author of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, Duck seeks nothing less than the highest office in the land! Our fellow Americans, we present to you Duck for president!

Recommended for Pre-kindergarten and up.

About Main Street Theater

Main Street Theater provides theater experiences for all ages. Founded in 1975, our MainStage produces professional, intimate, literary plays for adults and operates under an Actors' Equity Association union contract; our Theater for Youth produces professional, engaging productions based on children's literature for families and school groups, both in-house and on tour around Texas; and we offer Education and Outreach programs on-site and at satellite locations around the Greater Houston area for youth aged 4 - high school. We work out of 2 facilities: our Rice Village home on Times. Blvd., and as part of the MATCH (Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston) on Main Street.

Main Street Theater is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for not-for-profit theaters, of Theatre for Young Audiences/USA (formerly ASSITEJ), the world theatre network of theatre for children and young people, and a founding member of Houston Arts Partners. Main Street Theater is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.