When the nonprofit Hands On engaged Latine sign-language interpreters for a production of Buena Vista Social Club at the Atlantic Theater Company, first-time theatergoers from the Latine Deaf community were in the house.
The Public Theater also reached new audiences with Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?), Zoë Kim’s solo show exploring Korean American identity, for which Hands On engaged an Asian American interpreter.
“Access to arts and culture is not a privilege—it’s a civil right.”
Hands On, which provides sign-language interpretation for productions at nonprofit theaters, has developed an approach that meets the unique demands of live theater. Its team incorporates factors like timing, redirecting the audience’s attention for important visual cues, and blending into the performance without distracting from it.
A grant from The Trust is helping the nonprofit recruit and train more interpreters from different racial and cultural backgrounds to better reflect the stories told on city stages and bring more New Yorkers to the theater.
“Access to arts and culture is not a privilege—it’s a civil right,” said Beth Prevor, Hands On’s cofounder and executive director.
Prevor has spent 44 years ensuring Deaf and hard-of-hearing New Yorkers have the opportunity to participate fully in the city’s vibrant theater scene and helping Deaf theatergoers connect with each other through the communal experience of live performance.
Hands On launched in 1982, when the Theatre Development Fund had just started to introduce interpreted theater on Broadway. Prevor and her cofounders, Candace Broecker, Janis Cole, and Janet Harris, sought to bring this service to nonprofit theaters. Their unique model trains interpreters who join production rehearsals, guided by a Deaf director. The organization has worked with theaters such as the Roundabout Theatre Company, Classic Stage Company, and New Victory Theater.
“An interpreted performance is a community event. It’s a very different experience than just attending the theater as an individual,” Prevor said. “Over the years, we have generated a strong relationship with Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. They trust us and trust the quality of the work.”
This relationship building starts with community outreach to share information about accessible performances, and includes careful attention to every detail of the theater experience—including selecting seats that allow audience members to easily see both the interpreters and the action on stage.
“Hands On has not only earned the trust of nonprofit theaters and Deaf audiences. It has truly elevated our city’s theater scene with its thoughtful and collaborative approach,” said Craig Petersen, The Trust’s program director for arts, culture, and historic preservation.
The Trust’s funding for Hands On is made possible in part through our Lila Acheson Wallace Fund for the Arts, established in 1984. Lila was a cofounder of Reader’s Digest and a passionate supporter of the arts whose legacy continues to expand access to the arts across our region.
