Accessibility

Auditory Accommodations

Assisted Listening Device

The Browning Mainstage is equipped with an Assistive Listening System. Headsets, available free of charge, may be picked up at the Patron Services Desk at the Loretto-Hilton Center staring 30 minutes prior to the performance. A driver's license or another official form of identification is required to obtain a receiver.

Using FM sound waves these unobtrusive receivers with surround earphones amplify the spoken dialogue and singing in a production.

The surround earphone does not require the removal of hearing aids. If your hearing aid is equipped with a “T” switch or has a telecoil setting, there are a limited number of induction loops available or you may bring your own.

Open Captioning

The final Sunday matinee of each Mainstage production is presented with "Open Captioning" for the deaf and hard of hearing. Open Captioning seats are available in the Left Bay only.

At performances presented with Open Captioning, the dialogue spoken or sung by the actors on stage is also displayed in text on an electronic screen visible to one section of the seating area.

Much like Closed Captioning for television programs, Open Captioning presents the spoken or sung portions, as well as sound effects, of the performance in a format accessible to deaf audience members or to patrons who may have difficulty hearing clearly.

This service may be useful for or of interest to:

  • People who are hard of hearing or deaf and use hearing aids, cochlear implants and assistive listening devices but do not rely on/understand sign language as a means of communication
  • Sign language users who may prefer a literal translation of the text
  • Persons who have developed gradual hearing loss with age
  • Hearing audience members who might not catch rapid song lyrics, heavily accented dialogue, technical words or foreign phrases in a performance
  • Individuals studying English as a second language.

In 2002, The Rep became the first and only live performance venue in the St. Louis region to offer Open Captioning.

Special seating featuring optimal views of the stage and captions is reserved. Call The Rep's Box Office at (314) 968-4925 for ticket prices and reservations.

ASL Interpreted Performance

We offer ASL (American Sign Language) interpreted performances on the final Sunday matinee for all shows (unless otherwise noted). Interpreters will be placed inside the theatre and sign what the actors are saying and expressing for the audience.  

Visual Accommodations

The Rep partners with MindsEye Radio to offer live audio description at the final Thursday evening production of each Mainstage production.

Patrons may sit anywhere in the house to use the service. Receivers may be picked up at the Patron Services Desk at the Loretto-Hilton Center starting 30 minutes prior to the performance.

The description begins with program notes and stage description 10 minutes prior to the performance. Visual moments of the performance will be described without interfering with the dialogue.

To reserve tickets and description devices, please call the Box Office at 314-968-4925.

Mobility Accommodations

Seating areas to accommodate persons using wheelchairs are located throughout the Mainstage house and available in the Studio Theatre. Please discuss seating requirements with the Box Office when purchasing tickets.

Access to the downstairs Emerson Studio Theatre space is available from the parking lot located at the corner of Edgar Road and Garden Ave. This accessible entrance is just north of Garden Ave. A parking lot attendant or usher stationed at this entrance will assist you. Please plan to arrive at this entrance at least 30 minutes prior to showtime.

Sensory-Friendly Performances

Every season, The Rep's Imaginary Theatre Company presents sensory-friendly performances of one of its plays for young audiences. 

These productions are tailored to children with sensory sensitivity and their families. Features include pacing lanes, a fidget room and an opportunity to meet the actors after the performance and touch their costumes. A social story will be available online prior to the performance to help children visualize a visit to The Rep.

This year, ITC will produce two sensory-friendly performances of The Ant and the Grasshopper on Saturday, November 23, 2019. For more information on those performances, click here.