Imagine watching a fast-paced play, packed full of rapid-fire wisecracks, double-takes, innuendo and farcical adultery.
Now imagine trying to describe it all live, as it unfolds, in great detail and with precision timing to someone who’s visually impaired.
That’s the task facing the professional describers gearing up to visualize with their words the action unfolding at the Gateway Theatre’s production of Don’t Dress for Dinner, which opened Thursday and will run to April 23.
Two of those performances, on Tuesday, April 12 at 1 p.m. and Friday, April 22 at 8 p.m., will have the luxury of a describer on the balcony, courtesy of Vancouver-based VocalEye Descriptive Arts.
People with visual impairments, who would normally struggle to fully enjoy the artistic delight of a live performance, can go along to the theatre — at a much reduced rate (a companion goes free) — pick up an FM receiver in the lobby and sit down and enjoy the show.
“We were the first organization in Canada to provide this service, it was at The Miracle Worker at the Vancouver Playhouse in 2009; it was the first described performance in the country,” said Steph Kirkland, VocalEye’s executive managing director.
“We’ve described for the Pride Parade, Bard on the Beach and the fireworks in Vancouver.”
For the Pride Parade, VocalEye had a list of participants, said Kirkland, then a team of two describers set up in Alexandra Park in Vancouver and when the parade came by, they described it through FM equipment to anyone who wanted to listen to it through a receiver.
“We do this about 30 times a year in theatres,” said Kirkland, herself a trained describer.
“The describer will usually have three runs at it before they go live. A long run of shows is obviously better and if we’re able to access videos beforehand, that’s invaluable, as we can practise our descriptions with the timing of the actors; timing is everything.”
Kirkland said they first offered the service at the Gateway in 2010, but with no budget and very few staff to promote the service, the attendance was very low.
“The Gateway is now offering the best theatre rate out of all our theatre partners: half price and a free companion.”
As for the latest play itself, Don’t Dress for Dinner, Kirkland said a fast-paced farce with lots of humour will be a test for the describers, who will have to “be primed.”
Don’t Dress for Dinnerruns April 7 to 23 at the Gateway Theatre, 6500 Gilbert Rd. For more information and ticket prices, call 604-270-1812.
