Trinity Repertory Company is pleased to announce plans to offer open captioned and American Sign Language (ASL) interpreted performances during the upcoming 2011-2012 season. The state-of-the-art technology will allow Trinity Rep to continue in its mission of providing theater access to a wider community by making performances accessible to patrons with hearing loss. Open captioning seats are available for $22, and an open captioning subscription is also available for $66. To purchase tickets, call (401) 351-4242 (TTY RI Relay 1-800-745-5555) or visit the Trinity Rep box office at 201 Washington St. in Providence.

"We are absolutely thrilled to work with such generous partners who have continued to make Open Captioning possible for another season," states Trinity Rep's Artistic Director Curt Columbus. "We are always looking for ways to ensure that the incomparable experience of live theater is something that is available to all audiences, regardless of traditional barriers."
The schedule for open captioned performances in the 2011-2012 Season is as follows: His Girl Friday, Sunday, October 9, 2011 at 2:00PM, Chace Theater; Clybourne Park, Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 2:00PM, Dowling Theater; and A Christmas Carol, Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 12:00PM, Chace Theater. There will also be an ASL-interpreted performance of A Christmas Carol on Sunday November 27, 2011 at 12:00PM.

Open Captioning is a general term used to describe text displayed simultaneous to live speech, dialogue or performance. As opposed to closed captioning, open captions do not require the user to have any special equipment for viewing the text and are always "open" to anyone.
Trinity Rep's open captioning is provided by c2, the pioneer of Live Performance Captioning for hard of hearing and deaf patrons at live theatrical and cultural events. c2 is internationally recognized as the leading authority in the field. Their mission is to expand services throughout the United States. c2 boasts an impressive roster of prestigious venues now offering this vital access program.

Trinity Rep is fully handicapped accessible, with elevator service to the Chace Theater. State-of-the-art infra-red Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) are available for all performances in the Chace and Dowling Theaters. Support for Trinity Rep's accessibility programs comes from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, with additional support from the Vigneron Memorial Fund, Bank of America N.A., Trustee.

ABOUT TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY
Since its founding in 1963, Trinity Repertory Company has been one of the most respected regional theaters in the country. Featuring the last permanent resident acting company in America, Trinity Rep presents a balance of world premiere, contemporary, and classic works for an estimated annual audience of approximately 120,000. In its 47-year history, the theater has produced 58 world premieres, mounted national and international tours, and, through its MFA program, trained hundreds of new actors and directors. This season marks the 45th year of Project Discovery, Trinity Rep's pioneering educational outreach program. Last season, Trinity Rep's educational programs reached nearly 15,000 Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut students through matinees as well as in-school residencies and workshops. Brown University/Trinity Rep offers professional training for actors and directors in a three-year MFA program. Trinity Rep's 48th Season will present seven subscription productions alongside holiday productions of A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. The 2011-2012 Season opens with His Girl Friday, adapted by John Guare from The Front Page by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur and the Columbia Pictures film; Bruce Norris' Pulitzer Prize-winning Clybourne Park; The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare; the world premieres of Sparrow Grass by Curt Columbus, Love Alone by Deborah Salem Smith, and The Mourners' Bench by George Brant and closes with Marc Camoletti's Boeing Boeing, translated by Beverley Cross and Francis Evans. For more information or to subscribe, call the box office at (401) 351-4242 or visit Trinity Rep's website at www.trinityrep.com.