Fun Home - Deaf Accessibility

RockyRoadPicks
#1Fun Home - Deaf Accessibility
Posted: 6/28/15 at 4:08pm

I am willing to expend travel time and money to see this play. My issue is that I'm Deaf.

There is a group working on making Broadway plays accessible, but there's no information as of this date regarding Fun Home. So I am posing my questions here:

1) What are the recommended seats so that I can lip read the cast members most of the time?

2) Is there a script I can read in advance? Is this what I'm looking for? http://www.samuelfrench.com/p/58581/fun-home

3) Just to throw this in: Is it possible to watch the show with the original cast?

Thanks for your time

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CatastrophicDay
#2Fun Home - Deaf Accessibility
Posted: 6/28/15 at 4:34pm

I can really only answer your first question, and it's not a great answer. The entire show is in the round so the characters will frequently change the direction they're facing, which I would think would make it hard to lip read from any angle. I've only seen it once though, so maybe someone else can chime in who has seen it more frequently.

If you mean, is the original cast in the show, then yes they are all still performing right now.

AwesomeDanny
#2Fun Home - Deaf Accessibility
Posted: 6/29/15 at 3:17am

Yes, that link is the script of the show. Just make sure when you order, you select "Acting Edition" at the side of the page, instead of "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic (Graphic Novel)" which is the graphic novel upon which the musical is based (which is a great read I'd highly recommend, but not the script you are looking for).

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dramamama611
#3Fun Home - Deaf Accessibility
Posted: 6/29/15 at 7:36am

I would imagine that lip reading on a stage is difficult under the best of circumstances, and it being staged in the round only complicated things.  To your detriment, this is beautifully staged so all sides are included.


That being said, I think your best bet would be either the 200 or 300 sections, and as near the center as possible.


 


I hope it proves to be an enjoyable experience for you, as it's a beautiful show.


If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

RockyRoadPicks
#4Fun Home - Deaf Accessibility
Posted: 6/29/15 at 12:39pm

Thank you all for answering my questions. It did confirm my worse fear about not being able to lipread all the time. The money/time to travel and the high ticket cost makes it hard to justify to see the Broadway play without optimal accessibility. I do know sign language but prefer to see the actors' facial expressions.

Yes, I'm' aware that the 2nd option was the book. I'm very happy there's a script available.

Thank you for answering my questions. I may just settle for their touring show because I'm going to assume that it will not be on a circular stage.

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ChairinMain
#5Fun Home - Deaf Accessibility
Posted: 6/29/15 at 6:58pm

The touring show is planned as a proscenium stage and will be significantly easier to lip-read. 

ElphabaGoodman
#6Fun Home - Deaf Accessibility
Posted: 6/30/15 at 12:53am

Most Broadway shows have ASL-interpreted performances every now and then. I would check in to see if there is a scheduled interpreted performances coming up.