Broadway star Lillias White was accused of repeatedly reprimanding a hard-of-hearing theatergoer after mistaking her captioning device for a recording device during a performance of "Hadestown."
Samantha Coleman recounted the "embarrassing" experience in an Instagram video, saying she was sitting in the front row of the Tony-winning musical when White singled her out for using the device, which allowed her to follow along with the show.
"She wasn't the only person on the stage that might have thought that," Coleman said. "She was the only person, however, to call me out."
Coleman noted that, because of her hearing, she needed to use the device and "to kind of be ostracized and publicly ridiculed really hurts."
"It was super embarrassing. 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."
On Thursday, producers of "Hadestown" and Walter Kerr Theater owner Jujamcyn apologized for the incident and affirmed their "commitment to accessibility in all forms" in a statement to Entertainment Weekly.
"The incident yesterday is a reminder that this is an ongoing process needing constant revisiting and renewal," they wrote. "Providing access is also about educating everyone in the theater about how we can be more supportive."
"We are reviewing our policies and internal protocols to ensure this doesn't happen again. The production connected directly with Samantha earlier today to convey their apologies and thank her for bringing this to their attention so that it can be addressed."
According to Deadline, Broadway theaters were recently equipped with captioning technology that can be used on a smartphone.
Coleman said she believes the encounter with White was "a misunderstanding" but added that she believes accessibility and inclusion are important for discussion.
"There is a systemic issue in the theater community and the theater industry — specifically with Broadway about accessibility and inclusion," she said. "And some of that has been changed by the creation of technology like captioning devices so that people can be able to experience a show that may not have been able to before."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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