The City of Geneva’s Department of Culture has launched a new initiative that will see a number of theaters in Geneva providing subtitles for their plays.
Under the new scheme, introduced with the support of Swiss TXT, the subtitles will appear on a screen at the same time as the actors speaking their lines. Whilst the scheme is targeted primarily at those who are deaf or hard of hearing, there are obvious benefits to be gained for those hoping to improve their French (which is easier to understand when presented in both the written and spoken form), as well as those who simply want to take advantage of watching a broader range of French plays, which would otherwise be incomprehensible to them.
In 2011, four plays have been scheduled to include subtitles, that have been specially adapted for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Two of these took place in January and February, but the remaining two are:
Harold et Maude, by Colin Higgins
13, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 March 2011
Théâtre de Carouge (022 343 43 43 or www.tcag.ch)
For more details, download this flyer: Subtitles Carouge
Blackbird, by David Harrower
6 dates from 30 May to 19 June 2011
Le Poche Genève, Théâtre en Vieille-Ville
The following foreign language play will also be presented with French language subtitles, but the text will not be specifically adapted for those who can’t hear well:
Muerte y reincarnacion en un Cowboy, by Rodrigo Garcia
From 5 to 9 April 2011
Théâtre Saint-Gervais Genève (022 908 20 20 ou www.saintgervais.ch)
Operas performed at the Grand Théâtre de Genève may be presented with subtitles, but these are not adapted for the hard of hearing either.
It should also be noted that Le Casino Théâtre, the Grand Théâtre de Genève, the Victoria Hall and the Théâtre de Carouge are all equipped with a special magnetic system that enables those who have hearing aids “equipped with the position T” to improve the clarity of the speech projected by actors.
For further information visit: www.ville-geneve.ch/themes/culture/culture/handicap-culture or download the following flyer: Subtitles 2011
Following the huge success of this show on 22 January, there will be a second perfomance of:
A One Man Comedy Show in English
Defending the Caveman
by Kevin Buckmaster
This is a hilariously insightful play about the ways men and women relate, Caveman has both sexes roaring with laughter and recognition.The show is being presented by Léman Events Management in collaboration with the Casino in Morges.
For further details and reservations visit the website at: http://www.lemanevents.ch/Events/Le-Casino-Caveman.htmlTicket price: Fr. 42.-
Location : CAFÉ-THÉÂTRE DU CASINO - Salle Belle Epoque - Morges
Contact : Jos van Megchelen, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
English version:
A performance by Les Petits Bilingues.
Price: 4 € for Petits Bilingues members, 6 € public
The little girl, Jackie, is followed by a bad giant who wants to eat her and the public!
The giant speaks only in English but Jackie, who is bilingual, helps the young spectators in the audience speak English so that they can escape from him. All together they discover that the giant is actually very gentle and they can have lots of fun with him. The public play a major role in the direction of the story, interacting with the characters and even going on stage.
All the English dialogue is spoken in the Simple Present and Present Continuous tenses and the actors use gestures to illustrate what they are saying, which helps the audience, even beginners learning English, to understand what is going on.
English language teachers are invited to download educational material from the following site, before and after the show: http://koalako.fr
Version Française:
Les Petits Bilingues ont le plaisir de vous convier au spectacle Jacky and the Giant le Samedi 19 février à 17 h (participation : 4 € membre Petits Bilingues / 6 € tout public).
La petite Jackie est poursuivie par un méchant géant qui veut la manger, elle et le public!
Le géant parle uniquement anglais mais Jackie qui est bilingue va aider les jeunes spectateurs à parler anglais aussi pour s’en débarrasser. Tous ensemble avec Jackie, ils font également la rencontre d’un gentil géant avec lequel ils vont s’amuser. Le public joue un rôle primordial sur le déroulement du scenario : il influence le cours de l’histoire, interagit et parle avec tous les personnages, il va même monter sur scène.
Les géants parlent exclusivement anglais tandis que la petite Jackie est bilingue. Les dialogues en anglais sont construits au présent simple et au présent continu. Les acteurs utilisent une gestuelle pour illustrer chaque propos, ce qui facilite énormément la compréhension des débutants et des élèves plus en difficulté.
Ceux d'entre vous qui sont impliqués dans l'enseignement de l'anglais auprès des enfants peuvent également télécharger du matériel pédagogique avant et après spectacle sur le site http://koalako.fr
