by Mike Hoenig
At the ACB mid-year meeting, I had the pleasure of visiting Houston Taping for the Blind. The agency's director, Cynthia Franzetti, assured me that they would do all possible to provide audio description at four of our convention tour venues. These include the Galveston Outdoor Musicals Amphitheater, The Great Caruso Dinner Theater, and Imax theaters at Moody Gardens and Space Center Houston (which I've been incorrectly calling NASA). "Taping," as it is called in Houston, is anxiously awaiting our visit. In addition to providing audio description, they offer a 24-7 radio reading service, and, believe it or not, tape transcription services!
"We all have a duty to do this once," remarked our volunteer driver after spending two hours with Doc Bradley and me at the Holocaust Museum of Houston. The experience had a profound impact on all of us. Through powerful symbolism and an extensive collection of information and materials, the museum paints a vivid picture of a bleak part of human history. It's one thing to read about the Holocaust, and quite another to learn about it at this museum. You are reminded at the start, primarily through pictures, that Holocaust victims were ordinary, innocent people. As you learn about the historical events leading up to World War II, you have the chilling experience of listening to recorded speeches by Hitler, complete with large groups of people saluting. You learn about the plight of many of our brothers and sisters with disabilities, who did not conform to the Aryan standard. You will want to take some time for reflection as you consider the torture inflicted on so many innocent victims.
Much of the material in the museum is printed information. The museum's tour director, and later an intern, spent considerable time with Doc and me customizing this tour for ACB. Plenty of docents will be available to read documents and describe key exhibits as you walk through the museum. You will also spend time in the archives, where you will be able to touch Jewish artifacts such as a candlestick and objects bearing a swastika.
This tour, to be conducted on July 3 from 1 to 5:15 p.m., likely represents the best opportunity you will ever have as people who are blind and visually impaired to receive such a thorough tour of a Holocaust museum. Please understand that some graphic details are provided, and we strongly discourage this tour for children 12 and under.
For those of you contemplating the tour to the Museum of Fine Arts, here is some more enticement direct from Carrie Robinson Cannon, the museum's docent program manager:
"The Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden is located across Bissonnet Street from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. It opened to the public in 1986 and was designed by world-renowned Japanese-American sculptor, Isamu Noguchi. Noguchi conceived the garden specifically for this site, seeking to create a peaceful environment within a busy city where visitors can enjoy and contemplate modern sculpture. The garden displays sculptures by late 19th and 20th century European and American artists. They include Henri Matisse, Alberto Giacometti, Jim Love, Auguste Rodin, David Smith, Frank Stella, and many others. When you are not touching the sculptures, you may rest on the benches and enjoy the serenity of the site."
Yes, she said touching. Normally, tourists are not allowed this liberty. However, the museum is enthusiastically making this accommodation for our tour. By donning a pair of latex gloves, you will be given complete access to the sculpture garden.
I'll close this article with some more information about Galveston. You're going to like the menu from Landry's Seafood restaurant. It starts with a house salad. You'll then have a choice between freshly caught Pontchartrain, fried shrimp with steak fries and onion rings, and fettuccine alfredo with grilled chicken breast. Dessert actually comes with the meal. We'll be around to take orders on the bus ride down to Galveston, another good reason to be awake and alert at such an early hour. I assumed that you'd want to know more about "No, No Nanette" than the bit of baseball trivia I shared last time. With the help of a drama teacher and the Internet, I found a synopsis! It seems that a Bible publisher, Jimmy Smith, develops platonic relationships with three young women while traveling across the country. Afraid that his wife will find out about these relationships and misunderstand, he pays an associate, Billy Early, $10,000 to end the three relationships. Billy decides to meet all three women in Atlantic City during the same weekend. And -- you guessed it -- Jimmy shows up in Atlantic City with his stepdaughter, Nanette. Throw in the two wives, and you've got quite a complicated development! Intrigued? I certainly am, and I look forward to sharing laughs with many of you during and after this exciting production.
Stay tuned for more tour information. Next time, we'll talk about the dinner theater and provide a final tour schedule.