The Elkhart Civic Theatre will open its first fall production, “Silent Sky,” at the Bristol Opera House and via livestream on Oct. 2. But, the company held a preview show on Oct. 1 for senior citizens and the Deaf community.
The play, about pioneering astronomer Henrietta Leavitt, has only five cast members. But at the Bristol Opera House Thursday night, there were three extra people on stage.
They weren’t performers, though — they were sign language interpreters. Elkhart Civic Theatre Executive Director David Dufour said that the goal is to one day have interpreters at all or most of the company’s shows.
Kailey Rice is a senior at Goshen College double-majoring in music and sign language interpretation. This is her third show as an interpreter, and her second at the Bristol Opera House. She said that when it comes to performance interpretation, it’s all about access.
“We want everyone to have equal access. So we’re just providing that access," Rice said. "And when there are community theaters and things like that, it’s a great opportunity for students like us.”
“Silent Sky” will run in-house through Sunday, October 11, with two livestreamed performances Oct. 2 and 3.
The Elkhart Civic Theatre is a financial supporter of WVPE.
Contact Gemma at gdicarlo@wvpe.org or follow her on Twitter at @gemma_dicarlo
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