{"id":1319,"date":"2025-08-07T10:47:25","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T14:47:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/spanish-and-latino-studies\/?p=1319"},"modified":"2025-08-07T10:50:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T14:50:44","slug":"voicing-the-stage-students-make-musical-theater-accessible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/spanish-and-latino-studies\/2025\/08\/07\/voicing-the-stage-students-make-musical-theater-accessible\/","title":{"rendered":"Voicing the Stage: Students Make Musical Theater Accessible"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Spring, Montclair students, in collaboration with the Repertorio Espa\u00f1ol<\/a>, gave a live audio description of Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo\u2019s La Llamada<\/em> to low vision patrons of the theater. Audience members with visual impairments were able to listen to a narration of the theatrical performance through headphones.<\/p>\n

For the final project in Audio Description (SPAN 429<\/a>), students had the option to collaborate with their peers to create a script to describe a theatrical piece to a real audience. The course, taught by Dr. Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9 Garc\u00eda Vizca\u00edno<\/a><\/strong>, has staged four previous projects, but this was the first to take on a musical\u2014a new challenge that required nearly two months of preparation. Dr. Garc\u00eda Vizca\u00edno noted that the experience was both fun and highly productive, giving students an invaluable hands-on learning opportunity.<\/p>\n

Creating Inclusive and Engaging Theater<\/h3>\n

Preparation for audio describing La Llamada<\/em> began with students going to the Repertorio Espa\u00f1ol to experience the show live. The Repertorio also provided a video of the performance, which students used for rehearsals. With 11 students participating, the script was divided into equal sections. During practice sessions, students collaborated to edit and refine each section until deciding on a final script.<\/p>\n

This collaboration between Montclair and the Repertorio Espa\u00f1ol has allowed theater arts to become accessible to many more people. \u201cAfter several years promoting these special performances, we have seen how important it is to open our doors to everyone and facilitate the access to plays and musicals without any barrier,\u201d said Rafael S\u00e1nchez, Director of La Llamada<\/em> and the Repertorio Espa\u00f1ol.<\/p>\n

When asked about the importance of making art accessible, Anne Marsac, one of the students involved said, \u201cIt\u2019s important because it reaches so many more people\u2026It can be for all people because you can experience art in all different ways.\u201d The audio description for them \u201cwas a cool experience because you had to be efficient with your words to best describe what the audience was seeing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Audio describing a musical presented unique challenges, so the team developed creative strategies to keep the narration engaging. While audio descriptions are usually usually given in a monotone voice, the students \u201cbroke the rule a little,\u201d as Dr. Garc\u00eda Vizca\u00edno explained, adding subtle shifts in tone to convey drama, laughter, and moments of mystery throughout the performance.<\/p>\n

“One strategy was to choose words that were comical\u2026The audience isn\u2019t going to expect you to say that swear word or that irreverent adjective and it\u2019s going to provoke humor,\u201d said Dr. Garc\u00eda Vizca\u00edno.<\/p>\n

The dancing is an essential part of the story and also needed to be carefully described. Dr. Raul Galoppe<\/a><\/strong>, who was teaching about translating Broadway musicals into Spanish during the Spring semester, collaborated on this project and supported the team during the live performance.\u00a0 He assisted with sound and guided the team describing dance sequences, helping students describe the dancing while allowing room for the music to shine through.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be very succinct in how you\u2019re going to interject the description of the actions,\u201d said Dr. Galoppe.<\/p>\n

Pre-Show Experience<\/h3>\n

This project also includes a pre-show tactile experience which allows the blind and low vision audience members to feel key components of the production. \u201cSometimes, due to the tech specs of the productions, a tactile experience may be easier for the productions. But in the case of “La Llamada<\/em>“, we had the chance to bring everyone on stage before the performance to have a real idea of space size, elements, materials, textures and colors,\u201d said Director S\u00e1nchez.<\/p>\n

The audience members were able to touch key objects, furniture and walk through where the band was set up. \u201cIn the case of La Llamada<\/em>, where we have transformed the whole theatre into a cabin in the woods, including the sound environment, I think it helps everyone to feel part of the story they are experiencing,\u201d said Director S\u00e1nchez.<\/p>\n

Dr. Garc\u00eda Vizca\u00edno has expressed great interest in continuing this program with the help of the Repertorio Espa\u00f1ol. Working to elevate communities and make theater arts accessible to everyone is just one of the incredible things students of the CHSS do.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Written by Vivvy Gundani<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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