(By Katherine Buerke ’26, staff writer)
Wig and Buckle Theater Company will host an ASL-interpreted performance of its latest production, “Nightfall with Edgar Allen Poe,” on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. in Leedy Theatre.
The American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, Lentha Zinsky and Maggie Zuvich, will sign for a variety of different characters, bringing a new layer of accessibility to the stage.
Wig and Buckle collaborated with LVC’s ASL club to bring the interpreters to campus. Olivia Bush, a senior clinical mental health counseling major and director of “Nightfall with Edgar Allen Poe,” hopes the show will encourage theatergoers to experience theatre in a new way.
“People may not have experienced this type of show before,” Bush said, “[The audience] will be able to see more range from the company and the actors.”
Brooke Lehrman, a junior speech-language pathology major and president of LVC’s ASL club, worked with local ASL interpreters to bring this opportunity to campus.
“Chloe Rayer, who runs Rae ASL Interpreting Services, LLC., mentioned an interest in having a production interpreted with ASL,” Lehrman said.
Lehrman applied for and received an inclusive excellence microgrant to fund the interpretation.
Both Bush and Lehrman have high hopes for future collaborations.
“I hope this show will start a trend of interpretation in our future shows,” Bush said.
Lehrman hopes that the show will deliver “a multifaceted impact on the students, staff and community outside of LVC so students and teachers at LVC can have a greater understanding of the Deaf experience.”
There will be additional performances of “Nightfall with Edgar Allen Poe” on Friday, Jan. 24, at 7 pm and Sunday, Jan. 26, at 2 pm. Tickets are available at this link and are free to LVC students.