facial expressions serve three fundamental roles in sign languages, to convey the emotion that tone and volume would, to add grammar (raised eyebrows turn it into a type of question, lowered into a different one for example) and as a 'phonological parameter': Just as we in english add voicing to change the word 'fat' to 'vat' (the first sound is the same, but for the larynx engaging, look at it in the mirror as you whisper it or a recording with the volume off), so too can lip patterns change the meaning of words in that way. Therefore, to use an unflatering photo is unfair even beyond what the papers do to politicians as they talk. Facial expressions are core to his job, in order to actually communicate he has to make many faces. Think of a signer's face as basically a 3rd hand, and is doing as much word as the hands almost to change and add meaning to what is being signed.
Theatre interpreting is 99% of the time a passion project that is effectively paid well under minimum wage. Yes this looks like a $1000 payday, what you don't see is the 10x the time spent prepping and rehearsing and getting timing right and thinking about how to translate songs and figurative language. This is not a job for a newbie level 4 interpreter, they'd need help from an experienced level 3. Lot of training to do this well. This $1000 is very much the exception on the high end because it's one of the biggest shows, on a Sunday, on the 25th anniversary special. This is as good as it gets, 10x better than usual I'd say (but then I've not got experience anywhere near Broadway).
As it's a passion project, this is normally done as a quasi volunteer thing. The interpreters with a passion and love for theatre do it, while others do it as a one-off project. It is paid well below minimum wage so few do it, fewer still do it more than once. Looking at this guy's bio he is, as expected, a performer himself. So he's been doing this for the love of it.
I can guarantee this is causing waves and drama in the area. Its a very small community.
Do actual deaf people get any enjoyment from it though? Or is it just for smug lefties to look at and nod approvingly about how "inclusive" they are being?
It’s not that there’s 0 deaf people who enjoy it. But it isn’t all that popular I will admit. Who it is actually more popular with in my expierience (in a bumfuck nowhere city) is the language learners, interpreting students and interpreters themselves. Last one I went to had 5x-10x as many of them as actual Deaf people. It is a great opportunity to see some really good interpreting. Rehearsed stuff that has been thought about and made more artful, rather than the usual immediate live style, where the best they’ve done is a bit of Wikipedia research the night prior on the broad topic they were given.
And in a roundabout way that then serves the deaf community indirectly. You’ve got a more engaged cohort of future interpreters seeing something at the peak of their field, in optimal conditions, it’s the goal of what to aspire to in many ways.
But yes, the theatre lefties don’t know or care about any of that, it’s more about the ‘inclusion’ there absolutely.
This is my field* so here's some context
facial expressions serve three fundamental roles in sign languages, to convey the emotion that tone and volume would, to add grammar (raised eyebrows turn it into a type of question, lowered into a different one for example) and as a 'phonological parameter': Just as we in english add voicing to change the word 'fat' to 'vat' (the first sound is the same, but for the larynx engaging, look at it in the mirror as you whisper it or a recording with the volume off), so too can lip patterns change the meaning of words in that way. Therefore, to use an unflatering photo is unfair even beyond what the papers do to politicians as they talk. Facial expressions are core to his job, in order to actually communicate he has to make many faces. Think of a signer's face as basically a 3rd hand, and is doing as much word as the hands almost to change and add meaning to what is being signed.
Theatre interpreting is 99% of the time a passion project that is effectively paid well under minimum wage. Yes this looks like a $1000 payday, what you don't see is the 10x the time spent prepping and rehearsing and getting timing right and thinking about how to translate songs and figurative language. This is not a job for a newbie level 4 interpreter, they'd need help from an experienced level 3. Lot of training to do this well. This $1000 is very much the exception on the high end because it's one of the biggest shows, on a Sunday, on the 25th anniversary special. This is as good as it gets, 10x better than usual I'd say (but then I've not got experience anywhere near Broadway).
As it's a passion project, this is normally done as a quasi volunteer thing. The interpreters with a passion and love for theatre do it, while others do it as a one-off project. It is paid well below minimum wage so few do it, fewer still do it more than once. Looking at this guy's bio he is, as expected, a performer himself. So he's been doing this for the love of it.
I can guarantee this is causing waves and drama in the area. Its a very small community.
Do actual deaf people get any enjoyment from it though? Or is it just for smug lefties to look at and nod approvingly about how "inclusive" they are being?
It’s not that there’s 0 deaf people who enjoy it. But it isn’t all that popular I will admit. Who it is actually more popular with in my expierience (in a bumfuck nowhere city) is the language learners, interpreting students and interpreters themselves. Last one I went to had 5x-10x as many of them as actual Deaf people. It is a great opportunity to see some really good interpreting. Rehearsed stuff that has been thought about and made more artful, rather than the usual immediate live style, where the best they’ve done is a bit of Wikipedia research the night prior on the broad topic they were given.
And in a roundabout way that then serves the deaf community indirectly. You’ve got a more engaged cohort of future interpreters seeing something at the peak of their field, in optimal conditions, it’s the goal of what to aspire to in many ways.
But yes, the theatre lefties don’t know or care about any of that, it’s more about the ‘inclusion’ there absolutely.