THE VISUAL VOICE
Audio Description for the Blind and Visually Impaired
I was the Artistic Director of The Visual Voice and created/performed audio description for most productions at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley from 1996 until 2020 when COVID-19 shut down most gatherings. During the pandemic I moved from California to Michigan, so The Visual Voice had a sudden and unceremonious end. I will always value the work I was able to do for these underserved communities.
In 2016, I received an award for outstanding audio description of theatre for the blind and visually impaired by The American Council of the Blind.
Also awarded in 2016
Disney/Pixar-Los Angeles
Dr. Francisco Lima-Sao Paolo, Brazil.
Past Recipients Include
Netflix
Steppenwolf Theater Company
MOMA (NYC)
20th Century Fox International
WGBH Boston
PaperMill Playhouse
American Foundation for the Blind
About The Visual Voice
After training with Prof. Gregory Frazier, creator of AudioVision, and five years of shows at AMTSJ (American Musical Theater of San Jose), Mark Messersmith came to The Visual Voice in 1998 and worked with founder Madelyn Dovano before taking the reins of the company when Madelyn passed in 2002. Mark was the audio describer for all but five shows at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley from 2001 to 2020. His first solo description for The Visual Voice was in 1999 for TWs acclaimed Romeo & Juliet.
What is Audio Description?
Audio description is the craft of speaking pictorially during live theatre productions whereby a trained voice “describes” to the blind and visually impaired those things they cannot see, without interfering with their experience of the performance.
Patrons listen through small individual receivers as an unseen describer broadcasts unobtrusive descriptions of the visual elements of the event, such as action, costumes, setting, etc.
Who was the describer?
Mark D. Messersmith was the resident describer and performed most of the description. On rare occassions other talented and qualified describers filled in. All describers were trained by Mark Messersmith.
Which performances were described?
In most cases TheatreWorks offered 3 audio-described performances for each show in their season, and offered discounted tickets for those ordering tickets from the box office and mentioning The Visual Voice.