City Arts Access Committee and BPP Sponsor Audible Description of Play

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7, 2007

For more information:
Byron Smith, Chair, Council for Community Accessibility, City of Bloomington, 339-5400
Craig Brenner, Special Projects Coordinator, Community and Family Resources Department, City of Bloomington, 349-3471

Bloomington, IN -- The Arts Access Committee, part of the [City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility|Council for Community Accessibility], and the [Bloomington Playwrights Project (BPP)|http://www.newplays.org] announced today a new collaborative effort to make theater in Bloomington more accessible to people with visual impairments.

The agencies are offering an Audio Description of the play "Men of Tortuga" by Jason Wells, on June 17, 2007, at 2 p.m. at the BPP on 9th Street between Walnut St. and College Ave.

Audio Description is a process that provides audio commentary to theater-goers with visual impairments. The audio commentary, describing such aspects as scenery, costumes, facial expressions and silent action, is relayed live through an earphone. Typically the describer, who already will have seen the production several times in order to be familiar with the action, is situated in a soundproof box at the back or side of the stage.

Seats will be reserved for each attendee with visual impairments as well as for an accompanying person. Transportation can be provided. The cost of the production is $10. Each patron using a headphone will need to provide an ID, which will be returned at the end of the show.

For registration and arrangements, please call 320-6080 or e-mail [mclapot@indiana.edu|mailto:mclapot@indiana.edu] by June 10.

Synopsis of "Men of Tortuga"

In an undisclosed location with their cell phones off, three businessmen, lustful for power, scheme with a weapons specialist to eliminate a member of the opposition. The cabal threatens to fall apart as one of the three men makes plots of his own. Suspense builds as they argue how best to do the deed and the audience is left pondering whether the ends justify their means.

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