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A truly sensational experience was had by those from the visually impaired Hispanic community in New York City and New Jersey who recently attended a sold-out, special performance of the play El coronel no tiene quien le escriba (No One Writes to the Colonel) by Nobel-Prize-winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Under the direction of Dr. María José García Vizcaíno, �ǿ����޴�ý University Associate Professor, a group of nine students in the university’s Spanish Translation Program produced a live audio description script of this play on May 4 at Repertorio Español, in NYC. Through audiodescription, the audience members are able to listen through an earphone and special receiver to a narration that describes the relevant visual elements of the performance without intruding on the dialogue of the performers. One of the students did a voice over for the script as well.

One of the unique moments of this event was the pre-show experience or tactile experience that took place before the play. In this pre-show experience, those with visual impairments were able to touch a miniature stage and key objects of the performance to give them a holistic experience of the artistic and literary component of the play.

“This was a truly rewarding experience for the students and audience alike on so many different levels: academic, professional and personal. We are looking forward to organizing more events like this,” Dr. Garcia Vizcaino noted.

Story by Caroline Howell

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