Abstract

Every night, on stages all over the world, curtains go up. Friends, families, and strangers gather together in theatres to be entertained, provoked, and engaged in a world of ideas and emotions. For many deaf people the experience of theatre is delivered through the use of a theatrical interpreter, who is charged with the task of rendering an equivalent interpretation for a dynamic theatrical performance in a different language. What are the demands theatrical interpreters encounter in this work and what are the subsequent strategies they employ to counter these demands? In this study, I explored how interpreters who work between English and American Sign Language (ASL) navigate script translation, musical aesthetics, and stage action during a single theatrical performance. To examine the demands and strategies in this setting, I analyzed twenty minutes of an interpreted Broadway musical and conducted two interviews with the theatrical interpreting team. Findings reveal that the team of interpreters primarily used meaning-based free translation and included the use of manipulated prosody, sign space, and facial expressions to parallel auditory information contained in the music. Further, they used various techniques both to throw focus to visual information taking place on stage and to share focus during the concurrent presentation of auditory and visual information. The results provide an in-depth examination of an under-researched domain of interpreting and offers insights into the linguistic and artistic devices employed by highly experienced theatrical interpreters. The techniques uncovered in this examination may serve as a guide for other interpreters who seek to work in this unique interpreting environment.

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Citation: Ganz Horwitz, Miriam (2014) “Demands and Strategies of Interpreting a Theatrical Performance into American Sign Language,” Journal of Interpretation: Vol. 23: Iss. 1, Article 4. Available at: http://digitalcommons.unf.edu/joi/vol23/iss1/4

Brandon Arthur

Brandon Arthur is a lover of life and considers himself very fortunate. He is the Founder of Street Leverage and is a passionate social entrepreneur within the field of sign language interpreting. Brandon is a nationally certified interpreter and has worked on both the practicing and business sides of the field for the past 20 years. He earned a B.S. degree in Psychology and a Minor in Business from George Mason University. His father is Deaf and his mother is a sign language interpreter. Brandon is a devoted father and husband and enjoys the sport of triathlon.

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