why is there a signer at the RCG opera, when there are surtitles?

Question

At a production of Faust, there was a signer for the deaf. As there were surtitles anyway, and signing is not one international language, why? How many deaf illiterate opera viewers can there be?

At a production of Faust, there was a signer for the deaf. As there were surtitles anyway, and signing is not one international language, why? How many deaf illiterate opera viewers can there be? Obviously not for blind people, as they couldn't see her.

Answer 1

Many deaf people are not comfortable in reading English subtitles. They prefer to look at BSL/ASL/ISL, etc (Select appropriate sign language) interpreters signing.

Why? For many deaf people, English is not their first language. Let's say you know more than one language. Which would you prefer, read subtitles in the foreign language or listen to the opera in your own language?

Personally, I would prefer subtitles, but many of my deaf friends prefer the interpreter. It's good to give the deaf person the choice.

I know of plenty of deaf people who would NOT understand the subtitles.

deaf illiterate opera viewers...? If there is an interpreter performing, they would go, as they love the performing arts, ESPECIALLY if there is an interpreter provided. Not as many deaf people would go if it's merely subtitled.

It's good business on the part of the RCG opera, as well as providing good access for deaf and hard of hearing people

Answer 2

I've been involved with Opera for a few years. SUPERTITLE screens are a serious distraction to anyone actually involved in the performance.

The signer,,first of all, doesn't require an audience member to tilt their head back,,,often missing what's actually going on. In a clear line of sight a deaf viewer can enjoy both the text and context,,,and even deaf,,,hopefully either understands a foreign language or doesn't care, but wants the experience of the topic, even if they can't hear the music or singing.

BTW,,, signing is understood, by the specific origin it's presented in, as regards language.

Steven Wolf

Answer 3

A friend of mine has 2 sisters who are deaf, and being so experienced in it, she signs interpretations for various things. Basically what she has explained to me is that in signing, sentences are not put together the same way as what we would read. Their typed "telephone" conversations are that way as well. The deaf have their own language within signing that doesn't necessarily translate exactly to what the subtitles would say. They leave out parts of sentences like "a" and "the" and other words like that. The sentence still means the same thing, just without the filler words. If they are not used to reading the full sentences (for whatever reason), it might not actually make complete sense to them.

This may not be 100% correct, but this is how I understood what she explained to me!

Answer 4

It's yet another example of the daftness of PCism. I very much doubt it was because so many deaf opera-lovers asked for it - probably just an Arts Council back-patting initiative (or maybe the signer was related to one of the patrons!). Chuck some money at things, without any understanding, and all you get are stupid wastes of money, not better organisations.

How pretentious.

Answer 5

typically, the titling is simply used to translate whichever piece is being performed into a common language -- italian into english so we english speakers can understand -- rather than losing the integrity of the piece by singing it in english. signers are hired to make the theatre more accessable for its audience -- to include people who my be blind, deaf, etc. many of the theatres i work for also have headphones for those audience members who are blind. when they wear the headphones, they can listen to what is happening onstage while hearing a desription of the physical space and actions onstage.

another aspect of using signers for performances that may also have titling is that deaf audience members are able to connect the emotions involved in the dialogue -- the signer becomes another performer in the piece. it is often difficult to decipher the nuance of tone in the written word.

Answer 6

SHEILA CARTER, She was hands down the scariest, most wicked, and psychotic character in Soap History. She spent decades terrorizing on 2 soaps, Y&R and B&B. I am still not convinced she is dead! And now she has a daugher and grandaughter in Genoa City!

Answer 7

for the blind people duhh!!!