Katt Campbell, ASL Interpreter (left), Melanie Teichroeb, Shield Maiden (right)
With a stellar tech crew, lighting design by Hilary Britton-Foster, and ASL interpretation by Katt Campbell, Shield Maiden Slays Nanaimo! This was one of our biggest Shield Maiden shows ever. The amazing staff and crew at the Port Theatre created a warm longhouse feel and our rowdy crowd showed up ready to roll!
Big thank you to David Warburton and his entire Port Theatre Staff and crew!
Thank you also to Sandy Cumberland, Graham Croft, Mitch Anderson and Dave Teichroeb for tech support and filming. New promo video coming soon!
ASL and Live Theatre
Melanie is hard of hearing, wears hearing aides and lip reads. Her Production Manager, Sandy Cumberland, is hard of hearing and wears hearing aides. Melanie has been exploring what it means to be part of the d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community. She has started taking sign language classes as well.
Melanie paired up with Island Deaf and Hard of Hearing to provide ASL interpretation for Shield Maiden. The Port Theatre was extremely supportive of this endeavour and the amazing Katt Campbell arrived to interpret for a rowdy crowd from the d/Deaf community in Nanaimo. Katt was incredible and the plan is to create inclusivity at as many shows as possible moving forward.
Did you know ASL is regional? Signs for certain words on Vancouver Island are different in Newfoundland. As we move the show forward, hiring interpreters from the region will be vital to good representation for all audiences.
The Shield Maiden team invites venues to seek out resources to make the performances they present as accessible as possible. Contact us for more information!
