As production members of the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre prepare for their full slate of holiday performances, they are elevating accessibility for patrons with hearing limitations in order to enhance the overall theater experience.
The Auracast transmitter uses Bluetooth technology to connect with listeners.
The Arlington Heights theater, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, received a donation of an Auracast transmitter from another Arlington Heights institution, Northwest Speech & Hearing, which is celebrating 50 years in the community.
The Auracast transmitter takes the audio feed from the Metropolis sound system and delivers it to Bluetooth enabled devices, including smartphones, earbuds, headphones, hearing aids, smartwatches and more. This state of the art technology enables patrons with hearing loss or other limitations to manage the sound and more fully enjoy the live theater experience, officials say.
“Our practice has a long history of supporting organizations in and around Arlington Heights,” says Martin Toalson, Director of Operations at Northwest Speech & Hearing. “It is our pleasure to provide the latest technology to enhance the theater experience for those with hearing issues at Metropolis.”
Metropolis Executive Director Tiffany Gates
Metropolis already offered an assistive hearing loop that was installed to enhance sound for patrons with hearing impairment, but this Auracast transmitter, with its Bluetooth technology, takes it up a level.
“For 25 years, we’ve made it a priority to ensure that the theater and entertainment experience at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre is accessible to everyone in our community,” says Tiffany Gates, Executive Director of Metropolis. “The new Auracast system represents a major step forward in those efforts, and we are deeply grateful to Northwest Speech & Hearing for their generous support.”
Dr. Marie Vetter-Toalson, Au.D., owner of Northwest Speech & Hearing says nearly one in eight Americans suffers from some form of hearing loss.
Dr. Marie Vetter-Toalson, owner of Northwest Speech & Hearing
“For a variety of hearing-related reasons, many people are limited in enjoying a live theater experience,” she says. “The Auracast system should make performances at Metropolis more accessible for all of those individuals.”
Removing any barriers to a full live performance experience has Metropolis Artistic Director Johanna McKenzie Miller excited about the donation.
“Theater is meant to be an inclusive experience,” McKenzie Miller says. “With this donation from Martin and Dr. Vetter-Toalson, a trip to Metropolis is now more enjoyable for many patrons. We are thrilled to add this new technology to our system.”
Steve Connell reprises the role of Ebenezer Scrooge.
Metropolis kicks off its holiday productions Nov. 24 with the return of its ever-popular version of A Christmas Carol, with Steve Connell reprising the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. The theater offers the holiday classic as a musical, and this season all patrons will be able to enjoy the nuances of these enhanced performances.
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