‘Hadestown’ apologizes to audience member reprimanded by cast member
The producers of Broadway’s “Hadestown” issued an apology Thursday to an audience member who was repeatedly reprimanded by a cast member while attending a performance recently.
The production apologized after the audience member, Samantha Coleman, shared her experience on Instagram. Coleman explained that the cast member, Lillias White, mistook her captioning device for a recording device and scolded her multiple times from the stage for allegedly taping the show. Coleman — also an actor based in New York — identifies as a deafblind person who is late-hard of hearing with progressive vision loss.
In a follow-up Twitter thread, Coleman — who was sitting in the front row — clarified that White handled the situation “quickly and concisely” while other action was unfolding onstage and that “the show was not disrupted or interrupted.” Coleman said she was not “publicly shamed” by White, adding that the staff eventually followed protocol and informed the actors when they left the stage that she was using a captioning device.
“Hadestown and Jujamcyn Theatres have a commitment to accessibility in all forms. The incident yesterday is a reminder that this is an ongoing process needing constant revisiting and renewal,” the production said in a statement provided to the Los Angeles Times.
“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.”
“Hadestown,” Anaïs Mitchell’s Tony- and Grammy-musical reimagining the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, arrives in Los Angeles with a cast that includes Tony-winner Levi Kreis as Hermes.
The “Hadestown” team has also invited Coleman to return to the show as its guest. Accounting for time lost to the pandemic shutdown, GalaPro captioning apps have been available on the Broadway circuit for about two years. On Twitter, Coleman said she used a separate captioning device offered by “Hadestown” instead of the GalaPro app.
“I’m sure [White] wasn’t the only person onstage that might have thought that” the captioning device was a recording device, Coleman said in an Instagram reel. “She was the only person, however, to call me out. ... I don’t think this is inherently her malice. I think it’s a misunderstanding. But we still need to talk about it.
Anaïs Mitchell reflects on the “Hadestown” tour’s Los Angeles opening and how the Tony-winning musical led to her new album.
“There is a systemic issue in the theater ... industry — specifically with Broadway — about accessibility and inclusion, and some of that has been changed by the creation of technology like captioning devices so people can be able to experience a show they may not have been able to before,” Coleman continued.
“To 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 Friday, Coleman urged her Twitter followers to “extend kindness and forgiveness” to White, whose “social media pages ... have been flooded with ageist & racist comments” since Coleman spoke out.
“Please stop harassing her,” Coleman tweeted.
“I recognize the privilege of being a white woman making an [accusation] about a black woman. Ms. White is not a malicious person, nor is she the enemy. The [‘villain’] of this tale is systemic [ableism] in society and in the industry - not her. Education is key. Please be kind.”
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