ˊHelen Keller, ¿la mujer maravilla?ˊis inclusive theatre in Spanish and sign language, with accessible supporting materials
Auditorio de Tenerife schedules the show Helen Keller, ¿la mujer maravilla?, by the Galician company Chévere, on Friday (November 21) at 7.30 p.m., Saturday (November 22) at 6 p.m., and Sunday (November 23) at 12 noon in La Salita. This inclusive theatre production equally integrates spoken Spanish and Spanish Sign Language (SSL). Furthermore, additional resources and services are offered to help blind and deafblind people fully experience the show.
Born in Alabama, United States, Helen Keller famously became the first deafblind person in the United States to obtain a university degree in 1904. This part of her life inhabited the collective memory as an exemplary model of overcoming disabilities, and most of her writings end up being used as motivational catchphrases. However, the Chévere company, after researching North American digital archives, uncovered other puzzling facets of her life that have been glossed over systematically, as well as a social media campaign claiming she was not real and a petition to erase her from History.
This piece delves into the reasons for, and challenges arising from, the lack of communication between hearing and non-hearing persons. It explores the possibilities of sharing an open dialogue onstage as a silent vindication of the importance of minoritised languages, of their public use and their coming together.
For this reason, the company provides an accessible show with support resources for deafblind individuals, audio description available through headphones during the performance, and a tactile walk an hour before the start of the show, designed for people with visual impairments. Spectators shall be given a tour of the performing area, during which they can touch props, equipment, and stage clothes under the guidance of the show’s actors. To use these services, you must submit a request by email before November 19 to taquilla@auditoriodetenerife.com.
Chévere is an agitational theatrical company that has been active for over 35 years. It has managed to remain true to its focus on creating its own works and to its solid position on social, political and cultural matters. In 2014, Spanish cultural authorities chose Chévere for the country’s National Theatre Award. The company is comprised of a stable creative core (Xesús Ron, Patricia de Lorenzo, Miguel de Lira) and continues to work with a broad network of collaborators. Chévere stages works that examine current debates, putting them in contrast with the memory of a recent past that affects us and documenting them onstage with a contemporary language that is accessible to a wide range of spectators.
The tickets can be purchased at a single price of €8 and €5 for audiences under 30 on the website www.auditoriodetenerife.com, at the auditorium’s box office, or by dialling the phone number 902 317 327 from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.