A rainbow of animals

dining clowns

Kids whistling

A Boy

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A Deaf Child
"Your 'touch tours' before each play and the use of the earphone which allows Jen to hear a detailed description of the action on stage makes the plays much more meaningful for her."
- Robert & Sheila Wing-Proctor, Patrons of Wild Swan

Wild Swan is Accessible!

For Audience Members who are Deaf

American Sign Language interpreting is part of all Wild Swan Theater mainstage productions. Not only are all productions interpreted, but the signing is creatively woven into the performance, often with the interpreters playing characters. That way deaf audience members can always see the interpreters and action at the same time rather than having to look to an offstage signer and perhaps missing important staging.

Signing is important because it makes Wild Swan productions accessible to deaf and hearing impaired individuals. It is also important because it introduces sign language to hearing individuals. Wild Swan also feels that the visual beauty of the language adds another dimension to the productions.

Wild Swan is proud of the quality of its interpreters. They are all registered interpreters and among the best in the state. They are also trained actors.

Several rows in Towsley Auditorium are reserved for deaf audience members and their families. These designated seats are set aside for sale to these audience members when they request them.

For Audience Members who are Blind or Visually Impaired

Wild Swan Theater offers two services to theater goers who are blind or hard of sight. Audience members are invited to come backstage before the performance to meet cast members and for a touch tour to feel costumes, puppets, and musical intruments, in order to know more about them before the play begins. Actors meet with tour participants and personally conduct them around the stage, helping them learn about key visual parts of the production. The tour gives participants a chance to learn how the set is laid out so they have a physical context for experiencing the production. Hearing the actors' voices ahead of time is also an important part of the tour, helping participants to recognize character voices when the play begins.

In addition, audience members may be equipped with a small receiver and earphone which will permit them to hear a description of the sets, costumes, and action of the play when there are pauses in the dialogue. The describer sits in the light booth and communicates with those using the service over an electronic transmitter. This system allows audience members who are blind to have access to all the visual information expressed in a play. Users of the system are able to hear the dialogue just as the rest of the audience does. This system is called "audio-description" and is regularly used at many theaters in the United States including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

These services are free but need to be reserved in advance by calling (734) 995-0530. Wild Swan Theater gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation for providing audio-description equipment.