Theatergoer with Hearing Loss 'Reprimanded' by Broadway Star for Using Captioning Device: 'It Really Hurts'

Abigail Adams
·2 min read
Theatre Marquee unveiling for "Hadestown", a musical by singer-songwriter Anais Mitchell and directed by Rachel Chavkin, at the Walter Kerr Theatre on January 4, 2019 in New York City.
Theatre Marquee unveiling for "Hadestown", a musical by singer-songwriter Anais Mitchell and directed by Rachel Chavkin, at the Walter Kerr Theatre on January 4, 2019 in New York City.

Walter McBride/Getty

Producers for Broadway's Hadestown and its theater have apologized to a theatergoer after she suggested Lillias White mistook her captioning device for a recording device.

Samantha Coleman, the woman behind the claim, said in a video shared Thursday on Instagram that the 71-year-old actress "reprimanded" her for using the device, which allowed her to follow along with the show, during a performance of Hadestown.

The theatergoer claimed this happened "not once but twice, at least" during the Tony-winning musical, and called the experience "super embarrassing."

"My hearing is such that I need captioning devices for when I see a show," Coleman, whose Instagram bio says she's "late hard of hearing," said in the clip. "And to kind of be ostracized and publicly ridiculed really hurts."

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The producers of Hadestown and Walter Kerr Theater owner Jujamcyn apologized for the incident in a joint statement obtained by PEOPLE on Thursday.

A spokesperson for Hadestown also told PEOPLE that production connected with Coleman and apologized for the situation and thanked her "for bringing the issue to their attention."

"The incident yesterday is a reminder that this is an ongoing process needing constant revisiting and renewal," the statement said after reiterating Hadestown and Jujamcyn's "commitment to accessibility in all forms."

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"Providing access is also about educating everyone in the theater about how we can be more supportive," they added. "We are reviewing our policies and internal protocols to ensure this doesn't happen again."

Coleman has accepted an invitation to return to the show, according to the Hadestown spokesperson.

White succeeded André De Shields as Hermes in Hadestown last month, according to Deadline.

A publicist for White did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

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According to Deadline's report, Broadway theaters were recently equipped with captioning technology, including the most commonly found GalaPro system, which can be used on a smartphone.

In her video, Coleman said she believes the encounter with White was "a misunderstanding." However, she also believes accessibility and inclusion are important points to discuss moving forward.

"There is a systemic issue in the theater community and the theater industry — specifically with Broadway about accessibility and inclusion," she said. "And some of that has been changed by the creation of technology like captioning devices so that people can be able to experience a show that may not have been able to before."

Coleman later added, "The people who need to use these devices should feel comfortable and confident in seeing a Broadway show and not be met with shame and embarrassment and anxiety."