Persephone enhancing theatre experience for everyone

Live theatre is full of sound and fury, but people with hearing or visual disabilities may not be able to enjoy all of the experience.

Now Persephone Theatre has created a pilot project to make its shows as inclusive as possible.

"Theatre is for everyone," Persephone's literary manager Johnna Wright told Saskatoon Morning host Leisha Grebinski Wednesday. "It's ridiculous that somebody would feel they can't attend because they live with a disability ... That shouldn't mean they can't be part of [the theatre experience]."

Wright and inclusivity co-ordinator McKenna Ramsay are organizing special elements for three theatre performances this fall.

I had to find out how ignorant I was and then find out what I have to learn.- Johnna Wright, Persephone's literary manager

A performance of Fiddler on the Roof​ will feature an Americal Sign Language interpreter, Wright said.

People who have compromised vision will be able to attend a performance of Mom's the Word: Nest 1/2 Empty that has audio description through a headset.

There will be a children's show, Gruff,  that is a relaxed performance geared to people who have sensory or motion related issues.

They reduce the stimulus level of the show and make room for audience members to express themselves.

"They can stand, sit, walk around, make noise or leave the theatre if they need to," Ramsay says.

'There is a huge artistic and creative element'

Ramsay says the interpreters become part of the production.

"It is more than someone coming in and interpreting the show," says Ramsay, "They have to understand the actors and really take on the roles themselves.

"There is a huge artistic and creative element."

For Ramsay, trying to open up the theatre to everyone hits close to home.

"My mother was diagnosed with MS in 1997 and when we moved to Saskatoon we immediately started going to Persephone shows," she said. 

"As she gets older and comes to shows and starts having sensory impairments, it's almost selfish, but I want her to be able to see the shows that I've worked on."

A grant from the Saskatoon Community Foundation allowed Persephone to develop the three programs and hire McKenna to oversee them.

For Wright it was a steep learning curve.

"As a person who doesn't live in that world, I just didn't know anything about it," Wright says. "I had to find out how ignorant I was and then find out what I have to learn."

Once the shows are over Wright and Ramsay will gather as much feedback as possible to improve the theatre experience for other upcoming shows.

The special inclusive performances are scheduled for hte following date:

• Relaxed performance: Gruff (children's theatre), Sept. 26, 1 p.m. CST in the BackStage Stage.
• Audio described performance: Mom's the Word: Nest 1/2 Empty, Sept. 29, 2 p.m. CST.
• ASL interpreted performance: Fiddler on the Roof, date to be determined.