18 Nov Theatre Row NYC

Theatre Row is a cluster of 6 performance theaters in New York City’s theater district. These theaters host a variety of plays, musicals, and performances.

Every theater goer should be able to clearly hear what’s being said on the stage from any seat in the room. If a patron has difficulty hearing, they will have an unenjoyable experience, and won’t be likely to return. Keith Adams, who is the current Theatre Row Technical Director, recognized this and reached out to Acoustic Loop Innovations in October of 2019, explaining that he had 5 theaters that he would like to evaluate for hearing loops.

Keith Adams is a true advocate for those with disabilities and is working on transforming his theaters to be accessible to all. He has recently installed a stair elevator as well as handicap accessible windows. By installing hearing loops, the theaters would now become accessible to those with the invisible disability of hearing loss, which impacts one-sixth of the population and a third of people over the age of sixty-five.

In November 2019, Acoustic Loop Innovations conducted an in-depth site survey where each theater was evaluated for induction loop candidacy, but shortly after, the project was put on hold due to the Covid-19 Pandemic when many businesses, including theaters, had to lock down.

After over a year of waiting, Acoustic Loop Innovations received a call in June 2021 that they would be going forward to do the installation at Theatre Row. American Hearing Loop joined the project and assisted Acoustic Loop Innovations in coming up with a design plan to give the best possible sound experience and exceed all expectations.

There were many challenges to overcome along the way since the pandemic was still a major issue and the theatre district was closed down, but despite the interruptions and delays, the installation began on August 23, 2021 and was completed on August 27, 2021. Contacta’s V34a PRO drivers were used to loop the theaters since they are designed for large venues, ensuring that each seat in the theater will receive a quality listening experience. The drivers provide excellent speech and music reproduction and were a perfect choice for this project.

Acoustic Loop Innovations also gifted a Contacta Portable InfoLoop for the handicapped accessible window. Now those with hearing loss can have a quality listening experience from the moment they enter the theater. Signs have been placed throughout the building so that patrons are aware that a hearing loop is installed for their enjoyment.

After the installation was complete, Mr. Adams listened through each loop and was amazed. Not only are his theaters now ADA compliant, but they will also provide so many hearing-impaired people with the opportunity to enjoy live performances in the heart of the NYC theater district.

The feedback from the staff has been wonderful, and patrons are sure to have an amazing experience now that the theater has opened back up this fall.