Open Stage Announces Sign Language-Interpreted Performances For Winter And Spring Shows

Open Stage, a theatre company in downtown Harrisburg, will provide American Sign Language-interpreted performances for five shows this winter and spring thanks to a grant-funded accessibility program.

Open Stage's accessibility program enables the theatre to add ASL interpreters to select performances of its shows. The goal of the program is to make the theatre's productions and programs available for anyone who wants to experience them. Open Stage's first ASL-interpreted performances occurred in 2022 for its production of Treasure Island and holiday performances A Christmas Carol and Who's Holiday!

Five upcoming shows in 2023 will have ASL interpreters: Into the Woods, The Diary of Anne Frank, Anne & Emmet, Tiny Beautiful Things and Poirot Investigates!

"Theatre should be accessible for everyone," said Open Stage Artistic Director Stuart Landon. "Thanks to a generous grant, we are closer to achieving that goal. Adding ASL interpreters to our performances is just the beginning. Our previous ASL-interpreted shows were a huge success, and we are delighted to continue to provide interpreted performances in 2023. We are committed to expanding our accessibility program to make sure everyone can enjoy a theatre experience at Open Stage regardless of any barrier or challenge."

Open Stage's next ASL-interpreted performances will be:

• March 2 at 7:30 p.m. for Into the Woods on Open Stage's Capital Blue Cross Main Stage - Into the Woods is a powerful story about family, redemption, growth, loss and what happens after "happily ever after."
• March 15 at 7:30 p.m. for The Diary of Anne Frank at the Scottish Rite in Harrisburg - The Diary of Anne Frank, which draws on the memoirs of a young Jewish girl who is forced to hide for nearly two years to escape Nazi persecution, is an essential part of how we remember one of the darkest periods of our human history.
• March 22 at 7:30 p.m. for Anne & Emmet on Open Stage's Capital Blue Cross Main Stage - This one-act play opens with teenagers Anne Frank and Emmett Till meeting in Memory, a place that isolates them from the cruelty they experienced during their lives.
• April 28 at 7:30 p.m. for Tiny Beautiful Things in Open Stage's Studio Theater - Based on the best-selling book by Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things follows the relationships between an anonymous advice columnist named Sugar and the many real-life readers who pour out their hearts to her.
• June 1 at 7:30 p.m. for Poirot Investigates! on Open Stage's Capital Blue Cross Main Stage - In this fun and farcical adaptation, Agatha Christie's famous sleuth Hercule Poirot brings all of his wits to bear to solve the mystery of the Western Star, a rare gem with dark and dangerous origins -- and to protect its unsuspecting movie-star owner along the way.

Individuals who would like to attend the ASL-interpretated performances, and who need the service, are asked to contact Open Stage's box office at boxoffice@openstagehbg.com for the best seating.

For tickets to the upcoming 2023 performances or for more information, visit openstagehbg.com.

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