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Well, they don't say a word but what they do is crucial when it comes to enjoying the
theater. Coming up next on Sunday Today in New York
Pia shows us a successful play that is having great success when it comes to Sign Language.
We'll be right back. This is Sunday Today in New York.
Well it takes the skill of a mime and the mental speed of a United Nations Translator.
It's the job of interpreting a Broadway production for those who cannot hear.
Pia Lindstrom looks at a program that helps make the theater very much accessible.
(singing) How to How to observe personell? How to select who to lunch with?
How to avoid petty friends...." That's Mathew Broderick, the star of "How
to Succeed in Business without Really Trying "which is a big hit on Broadway.
But what if you heard it like this. (silence)
This is what an audience of Deaf people would experience, if it were not for the actor interpreters
provided by the Theater Development Fund. This is a sign interpreted Broadway performance
for 150 hearing impaired persons. (singing) "for my darling tycoon.. Honey!"
Do you consider yourself an actress? No, I don't. I consider myself an interpreter
who has some acting skills , which I'm really thrilled I do because it enables me to participate
in this type of theatrical event.
And you don't have to be able to sing of course. Here you are in a musical and you don't sing.
Right Luckily ! Luckily they didn't ask to hear
my voice ! Right
Music is not something that all Deaf people cannot hear. Many Deaf people do have the
ability to hear certain frequencies of sound. For people who are completely Deaf, the music
is not the main focus of our interpretation it's the content or the meaning of what's
behind a song or the intent of the character. of ,and that's where most of the focus of
the interpretation for me at any rate goes. How did you happen to know sign language?
Well, I was one of the lucky ones born in a family with Deaf Parents so I've been signing
all of my life. And you decided not to become an actor or
combine this? I guess so. I sort of slipped into this. I
was a singer. I studied music in college and I don't know, I don't.what to say, I just
moved into this this field. Well you've been on Broadway many many years
now. Yes about 15 years.
I moved to New York 15 years ago and happened to move here just as the program with TDF
was starting so it was very very coincidental and fortuitous for me.
So what shows have you been in? The first one was "Elephant Man" gosh its
so many about I think about 30. We did "A Chorus Line", "Ain't Misbehaving", "Les Miserables"
Phantom..
You must be good in "Ain't Misbehaving" Yes looked the part and everything
(spoken dialogue) Hello? mail roomery Its for you Twimble its Mr. Bratt in personnel.
I'm mostly going for meaning. What's the meaning, What's this all about ? That's what my main
focus is.
so you don't really try to.. well you use you face as well as your hands
That is part of the language though
I guess people like myself who don't know sign language, we think it's only with the
hands. That true, it's a misnomer. The face, the
lip movements are just as important as the hands. They all work together .
from that we do get an If you noticed, the interpreters have a great
deal of expression and from that we do get what is going on on stage. If they are serious
if they're happy Would they go to the theater if it were not
signed Oh no no we wouldn't
Do they go often to see signed theaterImOh yes we do
idea of what is goin gon starge if they are srious happy
If you noticed, the interpreters have a great deal of expression and from that we do get
what is "going on" on-stage. If they are serious, if they're happy. Whatever it is they reflect
whats going on on-stage. Would she go to the theater if it were not
signed? Oh, no, no we wouldn't.
Do they go often to see signed theater?
Oh yes we do All the time.
all the time (singing) "Well, its been a long, been a long,
been a long, been a long day. Well, its been a long, been a long, been a
long, been a long day !"
Pia Lindstrom Sunday, Today in New York.