Prime Stage earns American Council of the Blind award for audio description services

Nathan Ruggles’ work as an audio describer at Prime Stage Theatre means he is responsible for bringing the visual elements of live theater to visually impaired audience members.

“It’s all about making that visual imagery present and accessible to people who have visual impairment,” said Ruggles, 48, of Pittsburgh’s Mount Oliver neighborhood.

Ruggles and Prime Stage Theatre in Pittsburgh recently were recipients of the American Council of the Blind’s 2022 Audio Description Achievement Award in the performing arts category.

“Visual elements can be very important to telling the story beyond what you hear,” Ruggles said. “Everything from costumes to sets, to character appearance and the action taking place during the show itself.”

Things such as facial expressions, gestures and movements all go into creating a deeper understanding of a live performance.

It also means Ruggles has to slip his audio description into the existing dialogue of a show.

“I sit in a booth with a transmitter, and audience members have a receiver with headphones,” Ruggles said. “You want to talk during the pauses and, whenever possible, if there’s a script I try to get my hands on it.”

Ruggles’ descriptive work also includes introductory notes which he scripts out carefully. Visually-impaired audience members can arrive early to a Prime Stage production for additional information.

“I’m able to get up onstage and talk about the production and the set, and even answer questions,” Ruggles said. “I can describe a piece of jewelry that might be important to the show, and audience members can come up to feel the fabric of costumes and props.”

It all contributes to a fuller sensory experience once the curtain goes up.

Wayne Brinda, Prime Stage’s producing artistic director, said the group is honored to be recognized alongside Ruggles.

“It ensures audiences that we’re consistently presenting quality experiences that truly bring literature to life and make theater accessible for everyone,” Brinda said.

Audio-described performances at Prime Stage will take place on selected Sundays this season, listed on its website at primestage.com.

But Ruggles’ work doesn’t end there. He has provided audio description for several Pittsburgh-area theaters and provided the service Friday for the Elton John concert at PNC Park.

Whether it’s a play or a concert, live performance doesn’t always stick to the script, and Ruggles’ work doesn’t come without some unexpected challenges.

“One night, we had an audience member in the front row with a seeing-eye dog,” he said. “One of the ‘props’ in the show was the family dog, which was a puppet. But when the characters started petting the ‘dog’ onstage, the real dog couldn’t resist and just walked right up to get some pets.”

Ruggles then found himself breaking the fourth wall, describing the audience and what they were reacting to.

“Imagine you’re sitting there, you can’t see, and you’re just hearing the audience react and laugh at something,” he said. “I have to be able to jump in and describe that as quickly and concisely as possible.”

Ruggles said he has discovered a real passion for his work since starting it about a decade ago and was honored to receive the American Council of the Blind award.

“I believe there have been only about a dozen people to receive this award, and, to me, it really helps bring attention to audio description,” he said. “It’s been growing both in recognition and availability, but it’s not as available as it should be.”