Date of Defense
3-22-2024
Date of Graduation
4-2024
Department
Theatre
First Advisor
Emily Duguay
Second Advisor
Tanya Timmerman
Abstract
On Sunday, November 12, 2023, Kalamazoo’s pioneer American Sign Language-interpreted shadow cast performance took place in Shaw Theatre at Western Michigan University. Clue is a mystery-comedy based on the beloved board game, loaded with witty dialogue and physical comedy. It was the perfect vehicle for the Kalamazoo county’s premiere American Sign Language (ASL) shadow cast—a special performance where the interpreters are directly onstage following the movements, dialogue, and intonation of the actors. It was produced through a unique collaborative effort of Western Michigan University’s Department of Theatre, Stage Hands, a Michigan-based ASL performance interpreting company, and Theatre Kalamazoo, a local consortium of theatres with a goal of making theatre more accessible to the public. The value of the endeavor is apparent: the introduction of an ASL shadow cast elevates the theatrical experience for everyone engaged in the process, including Deaf and hearing audience members, cast members, and sends a positive ripple effect into the surrounding community and beyond.
Theatre Kalamazoo received a generous grant from the Jim Gilmore Jr. Foundation to increase ASL interpreting for the public. Theatres such as Miller Auditorium and Kalamazoo Civic Theatre already had existing interpreting programs in place, but for other theaters in the Kalamazoo area this opened a new opportunity for inclusivity, enhanced theatre experiences, education, and growth. Twelve shows in the Kalamazoo 2023 fall theatre season at eight different theatres incorporated ASL interpreters, but by far the most acclaimed was Western Michigan University’s Clue featuring a shadow cast. Clue became a test run for shadow casts in the Kalamazoo area and challenged the bounds of what had been done before.
Shadow interpreting typically puts two interpreters onstage in costume totally immersed in the action with the rest of the cast. They follow the movements of speaking actors and take on their character’s qualities. Not only are they immersed in the performance, but they are also immersed in the creative process alongside the cast, director, and production crew. Rather than the interpreters existing as a detached appendage to the show, they are part of the cohesive whole. This was the case with Stage Hand’s collaboration with Western Michigan University.
Recommended Citation
Durbin, Kiara, "Shedding Light on Shadow Casts" (2024). Honors Theses. 3801.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/3801
Access Setting
Honors Thesis-Open Access
Defense Presentation