Hearing Loss Doesn’t Keep TDF Member Holly Cohen from Loving Theatre

Date: May 9, 2016

Broadway Member Stories On Stage TDF Stages

Member Stories

Welcome to Meet the Member, where TDF members let you know which shows they love.

Today’s member: Holly Cohen, a member of our TDF Accessibility Programs

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Emily Travis, Marketing Manager at TDF: Hello, Holly! It’s nice to meet you. To get started, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Holly: I moved to New York City in 2012. Through my involvement with the New York City chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), I learned about TDF’s open captioned performances. They offer a whole new level of theatre appreciation for those of us with hearing loss.

Emily: I know you see a ton of shows. What have you seen recently that stands out?

Emily: When did you first fall in love with theatre?

Holly: There are so many cultural opportunities beyond the theatre: art museums, 92Y programs, Randy Cohen’s Person Place Thing interviews at the JCC, Jason Robert Brown performing at SubCulture downtown, and so much more. I walk everywhere and love exploring city neighborhoods.

Emily: When you’re not at the theatre or cultural events, what do you do?

Holly: I volunteer for HLAA and am the former president of the New York City chapter. We provide informational programs, support, and advocacy for people with hearing loss. I am currently involved in launching the chapter’s new website and facilitating workshops about living with hearing loss.

Emily: As an audience member with hearing loss, have our TDF Accessibility Programs impacted your theatregoing experience?

Holly: TDF’s open captioned performances have a huge impact on all of us who live with hearing loss. Going to theatre would be a lost pleasure because of the impossibility of hearing the spoken words on the stage. With captioned performances, every word is visible. That helps us to easily follow the story. It’s a huge gift.

To contribute to TDF’s accessibility programs, just go here.

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Note: This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Photo courtesy of Holly Cohen

EMILY TRAVIS