Photo: Walter McBride/Getty
Producers for Broadway’sHadestownand its theater have apologized to a theatergoer after she suggested Lillias White mistook her captioning device for a recording device.
Samantha Coleman, the woman behind the claim, said in a video shared Thursday on Instagram that the 71-year-old actress"reprimanded" herfor using the device, which allowed her to follow along with the show, during a performance ofHadestown.
The theatergoer claimed this happened “not once but twice, at least” during the Tony-winning musical, and called the experience “super embarrassing.”
“My hearing is such that I need captioning devices for when I see a show,” Coleman, whose Instagram bio says she’s “late hard of hearing,” said in the clip. “And to kind of be ostracized and publicly ridiculed really hurts.”
A spokesperson forHadestownalso told PEOPLE that production connected with Coleman and apologized for the situation and thanked her “for bringing the issue to their attention.”
“The incident yesterday is a reminder that this is an ongoing process needing constant revisiting and renewal,” the statement said after reiterating Hadestown and Jujamcyn’s “commitment to accessibility in all forms.”
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“Providing access is also about educating everyone in the theater about how we can be more supportive,” they added. “We are reviewing our policies and internal protocols to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Coleman has accepted an invitation to return to the show, according to theHadestownspokesperson.
White succeeded André De Shields as Hermes inHadestownlast month, according toDeadline.
A publicist for White did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
According toDeadline’s report, Broadway theaters were recently equipped with captioning technology, including the most commonly found GalaPro system, which can be used on a smartphone.
In her video, Coleman said she believes the encounter with White was “a misunderstanding.” However, she also believes accessibility and inclusion are important points to discuss moving forward.
Coleman later added, “The people who need to use these devices should feel comfortable and confident in seeing a Broadway show and not be met with shame and embarrassment and anxiety.”
source: people.com
