Stratford Festival Offers A Variety Of Accessible Performances

The Stratford Festival's first audio-described performance is scheduled for June 24, one of a number of special performances planned for theatregoers with differing abilities.

In addition to audio description, the Festival offers open-captioned, ASL (American Sign Language) and relaxed performances. Touch tours of costumes and set pieces are also given in advance of some audio-described performances.

"We introduced touch tours last season and they were a huge success," says Executive Director Anita Gaffney. "Many of our patrons with low vision told us that the tours added greatly to their enjoyment of the audio-described performance and enriched their understanding of the production's design. These tours, together with relaxed performances, ASL, audio description and open captioning, are helping us to diversify the Festival's offerings to better serve a wider variety of people."

Following are the specialty performances to be offered this season. These performances are generously sponsored by TD.

Audio-Described Performances

The Music Man

· June 24 at 2 p.m.

o Touch Tour precedes the show at 12 noon

· August 24 at 2 p.m.

The Tempest

· July 8 at 2 p.m.

o Touch Tour precedes the show at 12 noon

To Kill a Mockingbird

· July 12 at 2 p.m.

The Rocky Horror Show

· July 20 at 2 p.m.

o Touch Tour precedes the show at 12 noon

An Ideal Husband

· July 29 at 2 p.m.

Coriolanus

· August 19 at 2 p.m.

Paradise Lost

· September 23 at 2 p.m.

Open-Captioned Performance

The Tempest

· July 8 at 2 p.m.

Relaxed Performance

The Music Man

· August 7 at 2 p.m.

ASL (American Sign Language) Performance

The Rocky Horror Show

· October 20 at 8 p.m.

The Stratford Festival's 2018 season runs until November 4, featuring The Tempest, The Comedy of Errors, Coriolanus, Julius Caesar, The Music Man, The Rocky Horror Show, Long Day's Journey Into Night, An Ideal Husband, To Kill a Mockingbird, Napoli Milionaria!, Brontë: The World Without and Paradise Lost. For tickets and more information, visit stratfordfestival.ca or call 1.800.567.1600.

To post a comment, you must register and login.